Unions, Retirees File Motion for Preliminary Injunction to Halt Unlawful DOGE Access to Social Security Data as New Facts Emerge
Filing Seeks to Restore Control Over SSA’s Data Systems and Suspend DOGE’s Unlawful Activity Until the Lawsuit is Resolved
Baltimore, MD — Today, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the Alliance for Retired Americans (ARA) filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in federal court to stop the ongoing, unlawful access to sensitive personal data by Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) at the Social Security Administration (SSA). DOGE’s intrusion has already put millions at risk of identity theft, financial fraud, and doxxing.
The filing follows a lawsuit brought by Democracy Forward on behalf of the organizations and an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order (TRO) filed last month. On March 20, a federal court ordered, for the first time since Trump took office, that DOGE return or destroy all private Social Security data it accessed, recognizing that stopping DOGE’s future access to the data was not enough to protect Americans.
Since then, new facts have further exposed the breadth and urgency of the harm to retirees, teachers, and everyday Americans who rely on the SSA and have entrusted it with highly sensitive personal and financial information.
The plaintiffs seek relief while the case develops to block DOGE personnel’s access to SSA systems, which include bank account numbers, health records, immigration status, and wage histories of tens of millions of Americans. The preliminary injunction application argues that the access violates the Privacy Act, Social Security Act, and Internal Revenue Code, and Administrative Procedure Act and that DOGE is acting far beyond the legal authority of any executive agency.
“Today, we take another step forward in our case to block Elon Musk’s DOGE from accessing Social Security Administration data,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “Working people and retirees deserve assurance that their sensitive information remains safe and not in the hands of Musk’s unvetted lackeys – some of whom were working with this data before their background checks were even final. Despite being continually asked by the court, this administration has still failed to answer why they need this information. This unelected billionaire and his cronies have no rightful claim to our critical data, and we are committed to proving that in court.”
“With every passing day, Americans’ personal and financial data is further jeopardized by Elon Musk’s actions,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “Absent immediate relief, working families are at risk of having their private information stolen and exploited, all because an unelected billionaire has decided to raid this sensitive data for his own ends. The promise of Social Security is that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can retire with dignity and grace. Elon Musk is breaking that basic bond of trust and must be stopped immediately before he lays waste to the savings working people have spent their lives building up.”
“Older Americans are rightly alarmed about what is happening at the Social Security Administration and worried about whether their most sensitive information is safe,” said Richard Fiesta, executive director of the Alliance for Retired Americans. “We will continue to fight in court to make sure that our personal and financial data remains secure.”
“Millions of people have shared their most sensitive information with the Social Security Administration because they trusted that it would be protected and used appropriately,” said Anne Swift, Senior Counsel at Democracy Forward. “That trust is now being broken. DOGE’s unlawful access to Social Security’s data systems put the American people at risk–not only of privacy violations but also of losing access to the benefits they depend on to support themselves and their families. The harm is already happening, and we are asking the court to step in to prevent it from escalating further.”
Read the complaint here, the motion for temporary restraining order here, and the motion for preliminary injunction here.