Overview

• U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting DOGE staff from accessing unredacted Social Security data, citing privacy violations.
• The injunction allows access to anonymized records only if DOGE staff complete training and pass background checks.
• Judge Hollander criticized DOGE's request for broad access as unjustified and highlighted the SSA's long-standing privacy principles.
• The Trump administration may appeal the ruling to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court, which has previously supported DOGE in similar cases.
• SSA leadership turmoil continues, with Acting Commissioner Michelle King resigning earlier this year over DOGE access disputes.