A U.S. federal judge has temporarily blocked billionaire Elon Musk's Government Efficiency Team from accessing systems used to process trillions of dollars in government payments, citing concerns that sensitive information could be improperly disclosed. This action is intended to safeguard the data involved and prevent potential risks of misuse.
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02-11, 2025U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer issued the order on Saturday morning in Manhattan. This followed a lawsuit filed by a coalition of 19 U.S. states, primarily led by Democrats, claiming that Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had no right to access the U.S. Treasury's systems. The lawsuit has raised questions about the scope of DOGE's authority.
The lawsuit argued that Musk and his team could disrupt federal funding for health clinics, preschools, climate initiatives, and other programs, and that Republican President Donald Trump could use the information to advance his political agenda. The state attorneys general stated that DOGE's access to the systems also "poses a substantial cybersecurity risk, endangering vast sums of state and residents’ money," thus seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent Musk's team from accessing these systems. This concern is primarily focused on data security and financial safeguards.
Judge Engelmayer, appointed by former Democratic President Barack Obama, stated that the states' claims were "particularly strong," thus justifying action to grant their request for emergency relief pending a further hearing before another judge on February 14. Judge Engelmayer wrote, "That is because the new policy presents risks of disclosing sensitive and confidential information, and risks that the relevant systems will be more vulnerable to hacking than before."
His order prohibits political appointees, special government employees, and government employees detailed from agencies outside the Treasury Department from being granted access to the department's payment and data systems. The judge also directed anyone barred by his order from accessing these systems to immediately destroy any content they previously copied or downloaded. New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat whose office is leading the case, said the order blocked the world's richest man, Musk, from accessing Americans' private data. James said, "I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: No one is above the law."
Judge Engelmayer's ruling comes a day after another federal judge – this time a Trump appointee – paused Musk's plan to furlough 2,200 U.S. Agency for International Development employees. Reuters reported that the White House and Treasury Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Trump had authorized Musk to lead DOGE to identify fraud and waste in government, yet Musk's efforts have alarmed Democrats and advocacy groups, who say he is overstepping his bounds, seeking to dismantle agencies responsible for critical government programs and massively lay off federal workers. At the heart of this controversy lies the legitimacy and potential impact of Musk's actions.
