On Thursday, a federal judge extended a temporary restraining order (TRO) barring DOGE from accessing Education Department and OMP records.
US District Judge Deborah Boardman, a Biden appointee last month issued a TRO blocking the Department of Education and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) from sharing data with DOGE.
“DOGE affiliates have been granted access to systems of record that contain some of the plaintiffs’ most sensitive data — Social Security numbers, dates of birth, home addresses, income and assets, citizenship status, and disability status — and their access to this trove of personal information is ongoing,” the judge wrote last month according to NBC News. “There is no reason to believe their access to this information will end anytime soon because the government believes their access is appropriate.”
Several unions representing current and former federal employees previously sued the Trump Administration to block DOGE from accessing so-called ‘sensitive data’ at the Department of Education and OPM.
NBC reported that Judge Boardman said DOGE workers being granted ‘unauthorized access’ to the data “could use the information available to them to create a comprehensive picture of the plaintiffs’ familial, professional, or financial affairs.”
On Thursday Judge Boardman extended the TRO until March 17 at 5 pm or until the Court rules on a preliminary injunction motion – whichever is earlier.
The judge said she might extend the TRO again until March 24 at 8 am.
BREAKING: Court extends the TRO in the case below. https://t.co/2YDErOTWan pic.twitter.com/yeDi6OI4fz
— Margot Cleveland (@ProfMJCleveland) March 6, 2025
