Federal Judge Sides With DOGE in Lawsuit Over Department of Education Data Access
A federal judge has ruled in favor of Elon Musk and the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), dismissing a lawsuit filed by a liberal student association attempting to block access to federal student loan data.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss ruled that the University of California Student Association (UCSA) had not sufficiently demonstrated that Musk’s efforts were causing them “irreparable harm.” The ruling allows DOGE to proceed with its investigation into the Department of Education’s handling of federal student loans.
“Because the Court concludes that UCSA has failed to clear that essential hurdle, the Court’s analysis also ends there,” Moss wrote in his decision, according to Trending Politics.
Moss, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, also stated that further questions regarding the students’ legal standing may be revisited in the future if more evidence is presented.
Musk initially requested special access to data concerning tens of thousands of federal student loans from the Department of Education, a move that led UCSA to file a lawsuit. The organization argued that this request could jeopardize student privacy and lead to serious harm.
However, the court dismissed these concerns, emphasizing that DOGE is still required to comply with federal privacy regulations, such as the Privacy Act.
“ED and DOGE staffers are obligated to use UCSA members’ information for lawful purposes within the mission of the Department of Education and to keep it confidential, in accordance with the Privacy Act, tax laws, and other federal law,” Moss stated in his ruling.
Liberal advocacy group Public Citizen, which represented the UCSA, expressed disappointment in the court’s decision. Attorney Adam Pulver said the ruling did not confirm that DOGE’s access to the data was legal and vowed to continue challenging Musk’s involvement.
“We are disappointed by the Court’s ruling. Students across the United States are already feeling the irreparable effects associated with the massive invasion of privacy that comes from the Department of Education turning over their sensitive data to DOGE,” Pulver said in a statement, per TP.
“The Court did not, however, suggest that DOGE’s access to this data was legal, and confirmed that DOGE affiliates must comply with legal requirements in accessing and sharing sensitive data. As the case moves forward, we expect to learn more about just what DOGE is doing,” he added.
The ruling is the latest in a series of legal battles surrounding Musk’s efforts to streamline the federal government under the Trump administration. His rapid push to eliminate or restructure various agencies has sparked a wave of legal challenges from left-leaning organizations.
Despite facing multiple setbacks, recent court decisions have begun to favor the administration’s initiatives.
Last week, a federal judge in Boston ruled in favor of a Trump-backed buyout plan projected to reduce the federal workforce by at least three percent. In that case, U.S. District Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. found that labor unions opposing the plan lacked the legal standing to block its implementation.
Moss’s ruling also comes on the heels of another court decision allowing DOGE to conduct cost-cutting investigations at the Labor Department, Department of Health and Human Services and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. However, DOGE has faced obstacles in accessing sensitive Treasury records detailing trillions of dollars in federal spending after another judge ruled against Musk and DOGE’s attempt to obtain the data.
Critics have argued that Musk’s role in DOGE is not legally sanctioned. White House Administration Office Director Joshua Fisher emphasized this point in a legal filing, stating, “He is not an employee of the U.S. DOGE Service or U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization. Mr. Musk is not the U.S. DOGE Service Administrator.”
Scroll down to leave a comment and share your thoughts.
Leave a Comment