In a bold legal move, former President Donald Trump’s administration has escalated its battle to the Supreme Court in a bid to grant Elon Musk’s controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) sweeping access to confidential data held by the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

The emergency appeal, filed Friday, represents the first major Supreme Court case testing how much authority Musk’s DOGE unit can exercise over government-held personal data. At the heart of the dispute is whether DOGE personnel should be allowed direct access to detailed records on hundreds of millions of Americans—including sensitive medical, financial, and identity information.

Trump officials argue the initiative is vital for rooting out waste and fraud in the federal system. “The government cannot eliminate fraud if courts bar the very experts tasked with that mission from doing their jobs,” the administration wrote in its petition.

However, lower courts have expressed serious concerns. A divided 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld a block on DOGE’s access, citing concerns over internal data protections. One judge, Robert King, noted the level of access DOGE was requesting exceeded what even top SSA officials are permitted to view. He warned that DOGE’s demand flouted longstanding SSA privacy protocols and oversight boundaries.

Chief Justice John Roberts—who oversees emergency appeals from the 4th Circuit—is reviewing the matter and has ordered a response from those opposing DOGE by May 12. A decision could shape the future of internal data access across the federal government.

The case stems from growing concerns about Musk's growing influence in federal bureaucracy under Trump’s second term. DOGE, originally pitched as a lean, tech-driven agency to streamline government efficiency, has faced repeated accusations of overreach, secrecy, and operating without sufficient transparency or oversight.

Federal employee unions and a major retirees’ association filed the lawsuit against DOGE, arguing that the department’s sweeping data demands could be fulfilled using anonymized datasets—without exposing Americans’ most sensitive records.

District Court Judge Ellen Hollander, who initially blocked DOGE’s access in March, characterized the agency’s approach as a “fishing expedition” built on speculation rather than solid evidence of systemic fraud. In a pointed exchange during court proceedings, Hollander expressed frustration at the administration’s refusal to clarify key details about DOGE’s operations. She even summoned the acting SSA Commissioner, Leland Dudek, to testify—an invitation the administration declined.

Despite judicial skepticism, DOGE insists the data is critical for various anti-fraud programs, including:

These projects, Dudek stated in sworn declarations, require direct access to real-time SSA data, including Social Security numbers, benefit histories, and contact details.

This legal clash is one of several DOGE-led efforts facing scrutiny across the federal government. While the Trump administration continues to frame the conflict as a battle against inefficiency and bureaucracy, critics see it as a potential threat to civil liberties and data protection norms.

The Supreme Court’s handling of the case could set a precedent for how future administrations, agencies—and even tech moguls—are allowed to interact with the sensitive personal information of millions of Americans.



By WafricNews Desk.