US court denies restraining order against DOGE's access to student information

The US District Court for the District of Columbia has denied a request to issue an order preventing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, from accessing the US Department of Education's student data.

The Washington Post reported this development based on court documents, as per Caliber.Az.

The court ruled that allowing DOGE access to the databases did not present an immediate threat to students. DOGE employee Adam Ramada informed the judge that the department's staff only uses the data to help review contracts, grants, and programs for issues such as waste, fraud, and abuse. DOGE also emphasized that its employees understand the legal requirements for handling confidential information.

As a result, the court concluded there was no evidence to suggest that DOGE's access to student data would cause "irreparable harm" or meet the criteria for a restraining order during the ongoing legal dispute between the Department of Education and student associations challenging access to personal information.

However, a coalition of labour unions, including the American Federation of Teachers, has filed a lawsuit seeking to block DOGE's access to personal data in the Education and Treasury Department databases. The lawsuit claims that sharing this information with DOGE violates privacy protections under the law.

On February 12, The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration temporarily blocked DOGE’s access to student databases until February 17, when the court would decide whether to issue a permanent order. Access to 13 databases, including the National Educational Credentialing Data System, was restricted during this time.

Additionally, the National Student Legal Defence Network filed a lawsuit on behalf of UCLA students, accusing the Education Department of unlawfully providing sensitive student data to DOGE. The suit also claims the department gave DOGE access to tax records, violating US tax laws. In response, Education Department spokeswoman Madi Biedermann stated that DOGE employees are government workers and that their cooperation with the department was legitimate.

On February 5, The New York Times revealed that DOGE had begun inspections at the Department of Education. The Wall Street Journal later noted that the Trump administration is considering an executive order that could ultimately lead to the dissolution of the department, with dozens of its employees placed on administrative leave amid ongoing discussions about its future.

By Tamilla Hasanova