SSA Head Rescinds Threat to Halt Operations After Data Access Block
WASHINGTON — Acting Social Security Administration (SSA) head Leland Dudek has retracted his threat to halt agency functions after a federal court intervened to prevent personnel from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from obtaining sensitive internal data.
Judge Blocks DOGE Access to Sensitive SSA Data
U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander issued the ruling Thursday, granting a request from labor unions. The order prevents individuals associated with DOGE from accessing Americans’ private information, including Social Security numbers, medical histories, birth and marriage records, financial account details, and tax documents.
Judge Hollander characterized DOGE’s data request as an unfounded “fishing expedition” for fraud, lacking any legitimate justification for broad access to the SSA’s comprehensive records. She stated the temporary group had “never identified or articulated even a single reason” for requiring unrestricted access to the SSA’s entire data infrastructure.
Dudek’s Initial Threat and Judicial Clarification
Following the court decision, Dudek publicly criticized the ruling as overly expansive. He initially threatened to revoke data access for all SSA employees, arguing they could all be considered “DOGE affiliates” under the broad interpretation of the order.
In interviews, Dudek stated that his own anti-fraud and IT teams could be categorized as “DOGE affiliates” according to the ruling’s language. He suggested he might “turn it off and let the courts figure out how they want to run a federal agency,” expressing frustration with the perceived overreach of the judicial intervention.
Judge Hollander subsequently responded to Dudek in letters on Friday, deeming his interpretation “inaccurate.” She clarified that her order was not intended to disrupt standard SSA operations. According to Hollander, the order specifically targets individuals “working on or implementing the DOGE agenda,” not general SSA staff.
Hours later, Dudek reversed his stance.
In a subsequent statement released Friday, Dudek stated, “The Court issued clarifying guidance about the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) related to DOGE employees and DOGE activities at the Social Security Administration (SSA). Therefore, I am not shutting down the agency. SSA employees and their work will continue under the TRO.”
Broader Concerns Over DOGE Data Access
Michelle King, Dudek’s predecessor, resigned last month after reportedly refusing to comply with DOGE’s data access demands.
Judge Hollander’s ruling is part of a pattern of legal challenges against DOGE’s attempts to access sensitive data across federal departments. In February, another federal judge temporarily blocked DOGE access at the Treasury Department following a lawsuit from state attorneys general.
Separately, a DOGE staff member secured limited access to anonymized IRS taxpayer data through an agreement with the agency in February.