
US Court Allows DOGE Access To Social Security Data Of Millions Of Americans
A divided US Supreme Court on Friday granted President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) access to the social security data of millions of Americans.
The decision came after the Trump administration appealed to the top court to lift an April order by a district judge restricting DOGE access to Social Security Administration (SSA) records.
"SSA may proceed to afford members of the SSA DOGE Team access to the agency records in question in order for those members to do their work," the top court said in a brief unsigned order.
The three liberal justices on the Supreme Court dissented, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson saying the move poses "grave privacy risks for millions of Americans."
"Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, bank-account numbers, medical records -- all of that, and more, is in the mix," Jackson said.
"The Government wants to give DOGE unfettered access to this personal, non-anonymized information right now -- before the courts have time to assess whether DOGE's access is lawful," she said.
In her April ruling, District Judge Ellen Hollander banned DOGE staff from accessing data containing information that could personally identify Americans such as their social security numbers, medical history or bank records.
Social security numbers are a key identifier for people in the United States, used to report earnings, establish eligibility for welfare and retirement benefits and other purposes.
Hollander said the SSA can only give redacted or anonymized records to DOGE employees who have completed background checks and training on federal laws, regulations and privacy policies.
The case before Hollander was brought by a group of unions which argued that the SSA had opened its data systems to unauthorized personnel from DOGE "with disregard for the privacy" of millions of Americans.
DOGE, which has been tasked by Trump with slashing billions of dollars of goverment spending, was headed at the time by SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk, who has since had a very public falling out with the president.
Trump has been at loggerheads with the judiciary ever since he returned to the White House, venting his fury at court rulings at various levels that have frozen his executive orders on multiple issues.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


India Today
16 minutes ago
- India Today
Want Elon to thrive like never before: Trump walks back on threats to Musk
Following the recent fallout with business tycoon Elon Musk, US President Donald Trump has softened his stance on the SpaceX owner and said that he wants him and his businesses to thrive. In a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump refuted claims that he will destroy Elon Musk's companies by withdrawing the large-scale subsidies received by his companies from the US clarified that he wants Musk and all businesses within the United States to thrive like never before."Everyone is stating that I will destroy Elon's companies by taking away some, if not all, of the large scale subsidies he receives from the U.S. Government. This is not so! I want Elon, and all businesses within our Country, to THRIVE, in fact, THRIVE like never before!" he wrote. He also wrote that the growth of the US depends on the growth of the nation's businesses and the whole country will benefit out of it."The better they do, the better the USA does, and that's good for all of us. We are setting records every day, and I want to keep it that way!" said this month, Trump dismissed Elon Musk's move to launch a new political outfit called the America Party, calling it 'ridiculous'. He had also warned that it would only sow confusion in the country's political system."It's ridiculous to start a third party. We have tremendous success with the Republican Party. The Democrats have lost their way, but it's always been a two-party system. Third parties have never worked, so he can have fun with it, but I think it's ridiculous," Trump told between Musk and Trump intensified in recent weeks, largely sparked by Trump's sweeping new legislation, dubbed the 'One Big Beautiful Bill', which passed both houses of Congress and was signed into law on July 4, drawing sharp criticism from who previously served in a key advisory capacity and led cost-cutting efforts through the Department of Government Efficiency, criticised Trump's tax and spending bill for potentially adding USD 3.3 trillion to the national debt over the next ten years.- Ends

Mint
16 minutes ago
- Mint
Massive setback for Donald Trump: Appeals court strikes down birthright citizenship order nationwide
A federal appeals court on Wednesday ruled that President Donald Trump's executive order aiming to curtail automatic birthright citizenship is unconstitutional, blocking its enforcement nationwide. The decision marks a major legal blow to Trump's immigration agenda and could set the stage for another showdown at the US Supreme Court. In a 2-1 decision, the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an earlier ruling by a federal judge in Seattle, declaring that Trump's directive violated the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment. 'The court agrees that the president cannot redefine what it means to be American with the stroke of a pen,' said Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, whose state led the legal challenge. The executive order had sought to deny US citizenship to children born on American soil unless at least one parent was a US citizen or lawful permanent resident. Despite a recent Supreme Court ruling that curtailed the power of lower courts to issue nationwide injunctions, the 9th Circuit allowed the broader block, saying anything less would fail to protect the four states involved—Washington, Arizona, Illinois, and Oregon. 'It is impossible to avoid this harm absent a uniform application of the citizenship clause throughout the United States,' wrote US Circuit Judge Ronald Gould, who authored the majority opinion. Gould, joined by Judge Michael Hawkins, argued that limiting the injunction geographically would force states to revise government benefits programs in anticipation of families relocating from areas where the order was active. In a dissenting opinion, Judge Patrick Bumatay, a Trump appointee, contended that the plaintiff states lacked standing to sue and warned that the decision risked "judicial overreach." Trump's 2019 executive order directed federal agencies to refuse to recognize the US citizenship of children born on US soil to non-citizen parents who lacked green cards or American citizenship. The Constitution's Citizenship Clause says: 'All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens…' The case originated from a ruling by Judge John Coughenour, a Reagan appointee in Seattle, who became the first to halt the order. In his ruling, Coughenour called Trump's directive 'blatantly unconstitutional,' a position now affirmed by the appellate court. Trump's legal team could now appeal directly to the Supreme Court or request a broader review by the full 9th Circuit panel.


Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
Civil rights, campus politics, and the DEI backlash: Columbia's settlement in context
Columbia University agrees to reforms in $220 million US civil rights settlement Columbia University has entered into a $220 million settlement with the administration of US President Donald Trump, following allegations of civil rights violations related to antisemitism on its campus. The settlement restores over $400 million in previously withdrawn federal research funding and introduces sweeping changes across academic, disciplinary, and diversity policy areas. The agreement was prompted by student protests in response to the Israel-Hamas conflict, which raised concerns about harassment and discrimination against Jewish students. The Trump administration launched a federal investigation into the university's handling of these incidents, resulting in the financial and regulatory settlement. Settlement linked to civil rights and antisemitism complaints As reported by the Associated Press, Columbia will pay $200 million over three years, in addition to $21 million to settle claims brought by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) concerning discrimination against Jewish employees. The university will also incorporate a federally recognised definition of antisemitism into its disciplinary and academic policies. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 21st Century Skills Start with Confident Communication Planet Spark Learn More Undo The settlement includes reforms such as revising student protest guidelines, enhancing campus security measures, and hiring an independent monitor to oversee implementation. Protest activities inside academic buildings have been banned, and students wearing masks during demonstrations must now identify themselves. Changes to DEI policies and curriculum As part of the agreement, Columbia University has committed to ending programmes that promote what the White House described as "unlawful efforts to achieve race-based outcomes, quotas, diversity targets or similar efforts." These measures follow the administration's stance against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies that are viewed as conflicting with federal civil rights standards. The university will also review its Middle East studies curriculum to ensure a "comprehensive and balanced" approach. Columbia agreed to appoint new faculty members with expertise in Israel and Jewish studies, as confirmed in the details released by the White House and reported by the Associated Press. Actions against student protestors and visa implications Following the agreement, Columbia University announced disciplinary action against more than 70 students involved in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. These included protests held inside the university's main library and an encampment during alumni weekend. Students may face suspension, expulsion, or revocation of academic degrees. In addition, Columbia will be required to share disciplinary information about international students with federal authorities when requested. According to the Associated Press, this provision may allow the government to initiate deportation proceedings for visa holders participating in unauthorised protest activities. Official responses to settlement terms Acting Columbia President Claire Shipman stated, "This agreement marks an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty," as reported by the Associated Press. She affirmed the university's intention to comply with federal mandates while maintaining academic autonomy. US Education Secretary Linda McMahon described the deal as "a seismic shift in our nation's fight to hold institutions that accept American taxpayer dollars accountable for antisemitic discrimination and harassment," as quoted by the Associated Press. President Donald Trump said via his Truth Social platform that Columbia "committed to ending their ridiculous DEI policies, admitting students based only on merit, and protecting the Civil Liberties of their students on campus," as reported by the Associated Press. He warned that similar actions would be taken against other higher education institutions. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here . Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!