Demonstrators gather outside the Edward A. Garmatz United States District Courthouse in Baltimore, on Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
But that's not the issue, Hollander said — the issue is with how DOGE, led by billionaire Elon Musk, wants to do the work.
"For some 90 years, SSA has been guided by the foundational principle of an expectation of privacy with respect to its records. This case exposes a wide fissure in the foundation," the judge wrote.
The case was brought by a group of labor unions and retirees who allege DOGE's recent actions violate privacy laws and present massive information security risks.
During a federal court hearing Tuesday in Baltimore, Hollander repeatedly asked the government's attorneys why DOGE needs "seemingly unfettered access" to the agency's troves of sensitive personal information to uncover Social Security fraud.
TEXAS POISED TO CREATE ITS OWN VERSION OF DOGE AS BILL PASSES BOTH CHAMBERS
"What is it we're doing that needs all of that information?" Hollander said, questioning whether most of the data could be anonymized.
Attorneys for the Trump administration said changing the process would slow down their efforts.
"While anonymization is possible, it is extremely burdensome," Justice Department attorney Bradley Humphreys told the court. He argued the DOGE access doesn't deviate significantly from normal practices inside the agency, where employees and auditors are routinely allowed to search its databases.
Billionaire Elon Musk leads the Department of Government Effeciency. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Hollander, 75, is the latest judge to consider a DOGE-related case. Many of her inquiries Tuesday focused on whether the Social Security case differs significantly from another Maryland case challenging DOGE's access to data at three other agencies: the Education Department, the Treasury Department and the Office of Personnel Management. In that case, an appeals court recently blocked a preliminary injunction and cleared the way for DOGE to once again access people's private data.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Hollander's injunction could also be appealed to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which sided with the Trump administration in other cases, including allowing DOGE access to the U.S. Agency for International Development and letting executive orders against diversity, equity and inclusion move forward.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Bradford Betz is a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime, political issues, and much more.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/federal-judge-temporarily-restricts-doge-access-personalized-social-security-data