Big win for Trump, US federal judge declines to block Doge firings, data access

A federal judge denied Tuesday to prevent billionaire Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing government data systems or engaging in layoffs.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan determined that there are real concerns about Musk’s power, but there is no proof of serious legal injury that would warrant a temporary restraining order.

The ruling followed a lawsuit brought by 14 Democratic states contesting Doge’s power to access sensitive government data. The attorneys general contended that Musk has the type of authority that the Constitution states may only be exercised by people elected or confirmed to the Senate.

The Trump administration, for its part, has maintained that layoffs are coming from agency heads, and asserted that despite his public cheering of the effort Musk isn’t directly running Doge’s day-to-day operations himself.

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Doge has tapped into computer systems across multiple agencies with the blessing of President Donald Trump, digging into budgets and searching for what he calls waste, fraud and abuse, even as a growing number of lawsuits allege Doge is violating the law.

Chutkan recognized the concerns of the group of states, which include New Mexico and Arizona.

“Doge’s unpredictable actions have resulted in considerable uncertainty and confusion,” she wrote. Their questions about Musk’s apparent “unchecked authority” and lack of Congressional oversight for Doge are legitimate and they may be able to successfully argue them later.

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Still, at this point, it remains unclear exactly how Doge’s work will affect the states, and judges can only issue orders to block specific, immediate harms, she found.

Chutkan, who was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama, previously oversaw the now-dismissed criminal election interference case against Trump in Washington, D.C.