The New York Times (NYT) reported on Saturday that the Trump administration on Friday requested the Supreme Court to permit members of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to access sensitive records maintained by the Social Security Administration.

The administration argues that current restrictions imposed by a federal district court obstruct critical efforts to modernize government systems and reduce waste.

“This emergency application,” wrote Solicitor General D. John Sauer, “presents a now-familiar theme: a district court has issued sweeping injunctive relief without legal authority to do so, in ways that inflict ongoing, irreparable harm on urgent federal priorities and stymie the executive branch’s functions.”

In recent weeks, the Trump administration submitted multiple emergency applications, including one related to immigration policy, the day before, according to the NYT. 

Judge Hollander's ruling 

In response to the administration’s efforts, Judge Ellen L. Hollander of the US District Court for the District of Maryland imposed strict conditions last month on access to Social Security records.

Citing the agency’s long-standing “commitment to the privacy and confidentiality of the personal information entrusted to it by the American people,” she restricted DOGE’s access to redacted or anonymized data only after extensive prerequisites.

These include training on privacy laws, background checks, and fulfillment of other procedural requirements, according to NYT. 

“The intrusion into the personal affairs of millions of Americans, absent an adequate explanation for the need to do so, is not in the public interest,” Judge Hollander wrote.

While acknowledging that combating fraud and mismanagement is important, she emphasized, “that does not mean that the government can flout the law to do so.”

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It is worth noting that the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit declined the administration’s request to pause the injunction during the appeals process.

Supreme Court’s role and timeline

The Supreme Court has asked the challengers, two labor unions and an advocacy group, to respond to the administration’s application by May 12.

The report mentioned that the case highlights growing tensions between the judiciary and executive over federal data access and the limits of district court authority.

That said, the justices are also scheduled to hear arguments on May 15 regarding the permissible scope of injunctions in federal challenges, including cases related to Trump’s push to eliminate birthright citizenship.

Sauer sharply criticized Judge Hollander’s ruling, stating that it oversteps judicial authority and hampers the executive branch.

In parallel, legal challenges involving Musk’s expanding influence in government roles, other judges have issued similar restrictions.

These rulings have fueled concern among administration officials, who argue that obstructing DOGE’s access to records undermines efforts to enhance government efficiency.

As part of its broader policy agenda, the Trump administration has sought to tighten immigration enforcement, raising fears that access to data from federal agencies could facilitate wider deportation campaigns.

Sauer stressed that denying DOGE access interferes with federal priorities.

US Justice Dept. lets DOGE access sensitive immigration case data

Late last month, officials from DOGE were granted entry to a highly restricted Justice Department database containing detailed information on millions of immigrants, both documented and undocumented, according to materials reviewed by The Washington Post.

The database, known as the ECAS, holds electronic records for individuals involved in the US immigration process. These records include names, home addresses, past court testimony, and any known encounters with law enforcement, among other data.

According to the Justice Department’s website, “ECAS supports the full life cycle of an immigration case” by maintaining “all records and case-related documents in electronic format.”

A small group of approximately six DOGE “advisors” embedded at the Justice Department received approval from high-ranking officials last Friday to access ECAS, The Washington Post found.