The Supreme Court on Friday temporarily granted the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), formerly led by Elon Musk, full access to Social Security Administration (SSA) data. This includes highly sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, medical and mental health records, and family court documents. The 6–3 ruling, reported by NPR, sided with a request from the Trump administration and overturned lower court decisions that had previously restricted DOGE’s access. The case now returns to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond for a ruling on the merits.
DOGE was established during President Trump’s second term with the goal of “modernizing federal technology” to increase governmental efficiency. From the outset, it faced pushback. Acting Social Security Commissioner Michelle King initially refused to release the SSA data to DOGE and resigned rather than comply. Her successor, Leland Dudek, reversed course and granted what many privacy advocates call “unfettered access” to DOGE, sparking a wave of legal challenges.
The Supreme Court’s three liberal justices dissented, arguing that DOGE’s access to such private information should be blocked until the legal process plays out. They voiced concern over the lack of safeguards and the sweeping scope of the data involved. Nevertheless, the ruling marks another significant win for the Court’s conservative supermajority.
On the same day, the Court declined to hear challenges brought by oil companies seeking to block state lawsuits over climate change damages. Critics say these lawsuits are being used to push anti-fossil fuel policies, with potentially huge financial consequences for both the industry and consumers.
In a separate recent decision, the Court also sided with the Trump administration in reversing legal protections for over 500,000 migrants from Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua. The decision allows the government to proceed with deportations, reversing a lower court’s halt on ending the immigration parole program. These rulings highlight the Court’s growing role in shaping national policy on issues ranging from data privacy and immigration to climate accountability.
