US judge blocks Musk's DOGE from accessing Treasury payment systems

A federal judge has temporarily blocked Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing a critical Treasury Department payment system, citing the risk of "irreparable harm."

US District Judge Paul Engelmayer in Manhattan issued the order early on Saturday after a coalition of Democratic attorneys general from 19 US states filed a lawsuit late on Friday arguing Musk's DOGE has no legal power to access the US Department of Treasury systems.

The court ruling prevents DOGE from accessing the system that processes Social Security benefits, Medicaid and Medicare payments to doctors, and payments to other federal agencies.

The judge expressed concerns over the potential exposure of sensitive data and increased vulnerability to hacking threats.

Engelmayer also mandated the destruction of any data downloaded from the system since January 20, when access was granted.

A hearing on the issue is set for February 14, and President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent need to respond by then.

The lawsuit claims that Musk's team, categorised as "special government employees," was illegally granted access to the Treasury system, which is typically only available to designated government personnel.

Musk's response

Musk criticised the decision, calling it "absolutely insane."

He claimed that stopping "fraud and waste" of taxpayer money requires access to Treasury Department data.

"Something super shady is going to protect scammers," he stated on X.

The coalition of states contends that granting access to DOGE, which is not an official government agency, violates federal regulations and endangers residents' personal data.

DOGE, a Trump administration initiative led by Musk, aims to reduce government spending but has faced criticism from agency officials for attempting to access critical systems.

More court challenges have taken shape as Trump has moved rapidly to overhaul the government's spending and workforce.

A judge has blocked an attempt to overturn the constitutional guarantee to birthright citizenship. Another judge paused an effort to offer mass buyouts to federal workers on Thursday, pending arguments next week.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID), which distributes humanitarian aid globally, has become a major target.