The United States Supreme Court has stayed a preliminary injunction in the case of AFSCME v. SSA, which had initially prevented the Trump administration from granting access to Social Security data by the “Department of Governmental Efficiency” (DOGE). This decision allows DOGE staff access to sensitive personal data, reversing an earlier lower court order requiring Elon Musk and DOGE to “disgorge” and “delete” such information.
An appeals court previously upheld the injunction, recognizing that DOGE’s unprecedented access violated privacy protections. The coalition represented by Democracy Forward expressed concern over this development, stating: “This is a sad day for our democracy and a scary day for millions of people. This ruling will enable President Trump and DOGE’s affiliates to steal Americans’ private and personal data. Elon Musk may have left Washington, D.C., but his impact continues to harm millions of people.”
Democracy Forward represents organizations including the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; the American Federation of Teachers; and the Alliance for Retired Americans. They plan to continue their legal efforts against this decision as the case progresses in both the United States District Court for the District of Maryland and Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
The legal team from Democracy Forward involved in this case comprises Anne Swift, Mark Samburg, Emma Leibowitz, and Robin Thurston.
