A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that she wouldn’t immediately block Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing government data systems or getting involved in worker layoffs.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan acknowledged that there are real questions about Musk’s authority, but she didn’t find enough evidence of serious legal harm to warrant a temporary restraining order.
This decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by 14 Democratic states challenging DOGE’s right to access sensitive government data. The states’ attorneys general argued that Musk is exercising a level of power that, according to the Constitution, should only belong to elected officials or those confirmed by the Senate.
The Trump administration, on the other hand, maintains that any layoffs are being led by agency heads, not Musk, despite his public support for the initiative. They also argue that Musk isn’t directly involved in the day-to-day running of DOGE.
DOGE, with Trump’s approval, has gained access to computer systems across multiple government agencies. The goal has been to dig into budgets and look for what Musk calls waste, fraud, and abuse, but the growing number of lawsuits against DOGE claim it’s breaking the law.
Judge Chutkan recognized the concerns of the states, including New Mexico and Arizona, saying that DOGE’s actions have caused confusion and uncertainty. She agreed that their concerns about Musk’s “unchecked authority” and the lack of Congressional oversight were valid and could be argued successfully down the road.
However, she pointed out that, for now, it’s unclear how DOGE’s work will affect the states, and judges can only block actions that cause immediate harm.
Chutkan, nominated by President Barack Obama, had previously overseen the criminal election interference case against Trump, which was ultimately dismissed.
