The Trump administration is pushing for a change that could affect millions of Americans.
A judge just blocked the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing Social Security data, and now the administration is pushing back.
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In response, the acting SSA commissioner is making a big threat — if DOGE is locked out, he might shut down the whole system, leaving millions without their benefits.
The government wants to give DOGE access to social security data
Once again, government employees are stepping up to defend the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This agency popped up when Donald Trump returned to the White House in January.
Elon Musk is partially in charge of DOGE, and from what people are saying, about 30 employees work under him.
Since DOGE isn’t a full-fledged department, it’s been running into roadblocks when it comes to accessing certain information. Just last month, a judge temporarily stopped DOGE from tapping into America’s treasury system.
A judge temporarily blocked DOGE from accessing social security info
And now, DOGE has hit yet another roadblock. This time, a different judge put a temporary hold on DOGE employees getting access to Social Security Administration (SSA) systems. These systems hold personal data for millions of Americans.
On top of that, U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander in Maryland ordered the team to wipe any personally identifiable data they might have already collected.
The judge says DOGE is on a “fishing expedition”
“The DOGE Team is essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA, in search of a fraud epidemic, based on little more than suspicion,” she wrote.
Hollander added: “To be sure, rooting out possible fraud, waste, and mismanagement in the SSA is in the public interest. But, that does not mean that the government can flout the law to do so.”
Trump administration threatens to stop social security access
After the judge’s ruling, acting SSA commissioner Leland Dudek fired back, saying he might just block everyone from accessing SSA systems. If he actually does it, millions of Americans could lose access to the benefits they rely on.
He argues that the restraining order, which was issued on March 20, is so broad that it could prevent any social security employee from doing their job.
The acting SSA commissioner suggests shutting down the system entirely
Dudek told Bloomberg: “My anti-fraud team would be DOGE affiliates. My IT staff would be DOGE affiliates.”
“As it stands, I will follow it exactly and terminate access by all SSA employees to our IT systems.”
Then he took it a step further, threatening: “Really, I want to turn it off and let the courts figure out how they want to run a federal agency.”
Shutting down access could impact 73 million Americans
If Dudek actually follows through, it could hit 73 million Americans who rely on old-age or disability benefits.
This whole situation started after unions and retirees pushed for an emergency order to limit DOGE’s access to the agency’s massive collection of personal data.
Privacy concerns fuel legal opposition to DOGE
Critics are worried that DOGE’s “nearly unlimited” access to personal data is a serious privacy violation and could open the door to major security risks.
The White House says the judge is sabotaging Trump’s plans
White House deputy press secretary Harrison Fields weighed in, saying: “This is yet another activist judge abusing the judicial system to try and sabotage the President’s attempts to rid the government of waste, fraud, and abuse.”
