Federal Judge Blocks DOGE From Accessing Social Security Information for Now

‘The DOGE Team is essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA, in search of a fraud epidemic,’ the judge wrote.

Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), in Washington on March 5, 2025. Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images

A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), fronted by Elon Musk, from personal Social Security Administration (SSA) information, delivering another judicial setback for the Trump administration.

In a 137-page temporary restraining order, U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander wrote that DOGE also must delete any personally identifiable data that it may have in its possession.