Federal Judge Bars Elon Musk’s Team From Student Loan Databases

A federal judge in Maryland issued a temporary restraining order on Monday, preventing the Education Department and the Office of Personnel Management from releasing sensitive data to members of Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency team, or anyone assisting them.

The order, handed down by Judge Deborah L. Boardman in the Federal District Court for the District of Maryland, halts the audit of the Education Department’s student loan systems, which Musk’s team had described as part of their investigation, for two weeks while the lawsuit is ongoing.

Judge Boardman stated that the government had failed to adequately demonstrate that Musk’s team required access to such private information for their work.

“Members of the DOGE team have been granted access to records containing some of the most sensitive data of the plaintiffs — including Social Security numbers, birth dates, home addresses, income, assets, citizenship, and disability status — and their access continues,” Judge Boardman noted. “There is no reason to believe this access will end anytime soon, simply because the government deems it appropriate.”

The American Federation of Teachers, representing over 1.8 million educators, had filed the lawsuit to prevent Musk’s team from accessing the department’s data systems, arguing that the data included personal information submitted by its members in connection with student aid for themselves or their families.

“We filed this case to protect people’s privacy. When individuals provide their financial and personal details to the federal government — especially to secure student aid or loans — they expect that information to be safeguarded and used for its intended purpose, not repurposed for other uses,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the union.

In a related case last week, another judge refused to issue a restraining order against Musk’s team, determining that the plaintiffs had not demonstrated clear harm from the analysis of their data by Musk’s affiliates.

However, Judge Boardman determined that the mere exposure of sensitive personal information to Musk’s team represented a tangible injury, even without considering potential risks such as identity theft.

The lawyers behind the lawsuit had also sought similar restrictions against the Treasury Department, but Judge Boardman did not grant this, noting that another judge had already blocked Musk’s team from accessing sensitive data there.

She indicated that she believed the teachers’ union was likely to succeed in its case and stated that the restraining order was necessary until members of Musk’s team working with the Education Department could explain why their analysis could not be conducted with data that excluded or redacted sensitive information.