Judge Refuses to Block DOGE Access to Dept of Education

THE NEWS

A federal judge ruled Monday evening that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, can proceed—for now—in accessing student borrower data held by the Education Department.

U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss, an Obama appointee, denied a request from the University of California Student Association (USCA) to immediately block DOGE’s access on grounds of insufficient evidence of “irreparable harm.”

The judge stressed that questions about USCA’s standing and other legal claims remain unresolved, leaving open the possibility of further legal hurdles for DOGE.

TIMELINE

• January 2025: President Donald Trump takes office and rapidly establishes DOGE via executive order, aiming to cut trillions in government spending.

• Early 2025: DOGE staff begin seeking access to multiple federal agencies’ data systems, prompting legal challenges from various advocacy groups.

• Late Last Week: Another judge declines to block DOGE from accessing systems at the Labor Department, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

• Simultaneously: A different ruling bars DOGE personnel from accessing critical Treasury Department payment systems that process trillions of dollars each year.

• Monday Evening: U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss denies the USCA’s request for an immediate injunction, citing lack of “irreparable harm.”

• Upcoming: A separate judge is set to decide soon whether DOGE can access systems at seven additional federal agencies.

REACTIONS

Judge Randolph Moss: Found that the USCA “failed to clear the essential hurdle” of proving irreparable harm. Emphasized that whether the USCA has legal standing to sue is still unresolved and will be decided when a more complete record is developed.

University of California Student Association (USCA): Argues that DOGE’s access to student borrower information could violate federal privacy laws, including the handling of personal and tax data. Is represented by left-leaning consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, which has not yet commented on the judge’s ruling.

Elon Musk (DOGE Lead): Continues to push for expanded data access across multiple federal agencies in pursuit of cutting government waste and fraud.

White House: Principal Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields and officials stand by DOGE’s mission to reduce government spending. Joshua Fisher, director of the White House administration office, clarifies that Musk is a senior adviser to the president but “is not the U.S. DOGE Service Administrator,” underscoring his status as a special government consultant rather than a formal agency head.

WHAT’S NEXT

While DOGE has overcome a significant early legal obstacle with Judge Moss’s ruling, the overarching case against its data-access efforts remains unresolved.

Other courts have already issued diverging decisions—some granting DOGE access, some barring it—and a major ruling on access to seven additional agencies is pending.

This patchwork of rulings could lead to an eventual Supreme Court challenge over executive authority versus privacy protections.