Judges to Decide on Barring Musk’s DOGE Team from Government Systems

Three federal judges are set to decide on Friday whether Elon Musk’s cost-cutting task force, known as DOGE, should be granted access to Treasury Department payment systems and sensitive data from US health, consumer protection, labour, and education agencies.

Since President Donald Trump took office last month, Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has been aggressively reviewing federal agencies to eliminate wasteful spending as part of Trump’s sweeping government reforms. 

The Tesla CEO was appointed to lead the initiative, raising concerns among critics about the extent of his authority.

In Manhattan, US District Judge Jeannette Vargas will hear a request from Democratic state attorneys general to extend a temporary block on DOGE, which was imposed on Saturday. The block prevented Musk’s team from accessing Treasury systems that handle trillions of dollars in payments. 

The attorneys argue that Musk’s team has no legal basis for accessing these systems, which contain sensitive personal data of millions of Americans. They also warn that DOGE’s involvement could disrupt federal funding for critical programmes, including health clinics, preschools, and climate initiatives.

Meanwhile, in Washington, US District Judge John Bates will review a request from labour unions to prevent DOGE from accessing sensitive records at the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Bates previously ruled in favour of the Trump administration by denying a similar request last week, but the unions have renewed their appeal after amending their lawsuit.

Separately, a group of Democratic attorneys general filed a lawsuit on Thursday against Musk, Trump, and DOGE, arguing that Musk’s appointment was unconstitutional. They are seeking a federal ruling to block him from accessing government data, cancelling contracts, or making personnel decisions.

At a third hearing in Washington, US District Judge Randolph Moss will consider a request from the University of California Student Association to extend a temporary block on DOGE’s access to Department of Education systems.

 The student group claims such access would violate privacy and administrative procedure laws. Moss had previously issued a temporary freeze on DOGE’s involvement, which is set to expire on Monday.

Faridah Abdulkadiri

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