Fourth Circuit Grants DOGE Access to Sensitive Federal Data

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled 2-1 on August 12, 2025, to vacate a lower court's preliminary injunction that had blocked the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing sensitive government data. The ruling allows DOGE to access high-level I.T. systems and databases within the Treasury Department, the Department of Education, and the Office of Personnel Management.

This access includes sensitive personal information for over 40 million borrowers, such as Social Security numbers, citizenship status, addresses, employer details, and student debt information. The court, citing a June Supreme Court decision regarding Social Security data, rejected arguments from labor unions—including the American Federation of Teachers and the National Federation of Federal Employees—who alleged the access violated the Privacy Act.

Writing for the majority, Judge Julius Richardson stated that the plaintiffs lacked standing and that requiring DOGE to specify exact records before surveying technological inefficiencies was impractical. Judge Robert King dissented, defending the original injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman, who had previously described DOGE's reach as "seemingly unfettered." The case is now remanded to the lower court to be heard on its merits.