A Federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled in favor of the Trump administration on Monday, allowing the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to continue accessing student data at the Department of Education.
Judge Randolph D. Moss of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia declined a request from the University of California Student Association (UCSA) to temporarily block DOGE from accessing confidential information systems at the Education Department.
The Education Department has access to student data ranging from students’ income levels to their banking information and Social Security numbers.
UCSA’s complaint filed earlier this month called for a temporary restraining order to block DOGE employees from accessing student data. It also called for the Education Department “to retrieve and safeguard any such information that has already been obtained by and shared or transferred by DOGE or individuals associated with it.”
However, the judge determined that DOGE’s access to student data would not cause “irreparable injury” as the plaintiffs claim.
“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 laws,” Moss wrote in his ruling.
“None of [DOGE’s] initiatives should involve disclosure of any sensitive, personal information about any UCSA members. The future injuries that UCSA’s members fear are, therefore, far from likely,” he added.
The judge’s decision comes days after another Federal judge also ruled in the Trump administration’s favor. U.S. District Judge John Bates in Washington, D.C., issued a ruling on Friday that allows DOGE to continue accessing sensitive data at the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
However, in a differing result on Friday, U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas in New York extended a temporary block on DOGE on Friday that prevents Musk’s team from accessing the Treasury Department’s payment systems.
