Court declines to block DOGE from accessing Education Department data
Natalie Schwartz
February 18, 2025
U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss, an Obama appointee, said the student group failed to show it faced “irreparable harm” without emergency relief.
Dive Brief:
-
A federal judge declined Monday to block staffers from the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency from accessing sensitive data at the U.S. Department of Education.
-
The University of California Student Association requested a temporary restraining order, arguing in its lawsuit that DOGE staffers’ access to student data represented an “enormous and unprecedented” privacy intrusion.
-
However, U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss ruled that the student group failed to show it would likely face “irreparable harm” without emergency relief. Moss did not rule on whether the group has standing to sue or whether it has stated claims that could warrant relief in the future.
Dive Insight:
The University of California Student Association sued the Education Department in early February, arguing that the agency was violating federal privacy laws and regulations by allowing DOGE to access sensitive student data.
