A federal judge appointed by former President Biden is temporarily blocking Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing personal records at the Department of Education (DoEd) as part of their cost-cutting sweep.
Judge Deborah Boardman of Greenbelt, Maryland, issued a temporary restraining order on Monday against DOGE's access to records at the DoEd containing personal sensitive information on Americans, including financial data related to federal student loans.
The order stems from a lawsuit filed against the administration alleging that "the agencies unlawfully granted access to records that contain their personally identifiable information ("PII") to personnel implementing the President’s Executive Orders on the DOGE agenda."
Elon Musk, left, and U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman (AP/US Senate Judiciary Committee)
"Upon consideration of the amended complaint, the TRO briefing, the limited record evidence, oral argument, and the recent decisions of other courts in similar cases, the Court finds that the plaintiffs have met their burden for the extraordinary relief they seek," the ruling reads. "The TRO is granted in part and denied in part."
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President Donald Trump walks to the Residence after arriving to the White House on Feb. 22, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tierney L. Cross/Getty Images)
The latest ruling against DOGE comes from the same judge who in early February blocked President Donald Trump's executive order ending birthright citizenship.
CEO of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel And Convention Center on Feb. 20, 2025, in Oxon Hill, Maryland. (Andrew Harnik)
Boardman argued that citizenship is a "national concern that demands a uniform policy."