In Washington, D.C., a federal judge conducted hearings on Friday regarding a motion to prevent employees from Elon Musk’s team, known as DOGE, from accessing systems at the Labor Department. This department has been conducting investigations into Musk’s various companies, including high-profile organizations like SpaceX and Tesla.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration conceded that DOGE should not be allowed access to any data from the Labor Department until a decision is rendered by U.S. District Judge John Bates, who was appointed by former Republican President George W. Bush. While he has not indicated when a ruling will be made, the matter is pending with significant implications.
Labor unions have brought forth a lawsuit aimed at ensuring that DOGE employees do not gain entry to the department’s systems, which they argue hold sensitive information about workers. This includes details related to individuals who have lodged safety complaints against their employers. In addition, the unions pointed out that the Labor Department contains critical information regarding investigations into Musk’s companies and insight into competitors’ trade secrets.
According to the Justice Department, three DOGE employees have been assigned to the Labor Department, working under its acting secretary. These employees have been designated as special government employees and are expected to comply with all legal standards related to handling sensitive corporate and worker data as part of their cost-saving initiatives.
The legal action takes place amid Musk’s increasing influence across various federal government sectors, a change that has been supported by former President Trump. Musk’s team has reportedly gained entry to the Treasury Department’s delicate payment systems, implemented sweeping changes at the U.S. Agency for International Development, and has encouraged numerous federal workers to resign in exchange for financial incentives.
Lawyers for the labor unions, represented by the advocacy group Democracy Forward, declared that DOGE is infringing upon multiple legal boundaries through their actions. They contend that these breaches range from violations of constitutional limits on executive authority to protections safeguarding civil servants from unjust threats and actions, and vital safeguards for government-held data belonging to millions of Americans.
The unions also highlighted that the Labor Department includes the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which has scrutinized and penalized Musk’s companies over worker safety breaches. This has further fueled their legal stance against the access permitted to DOGE employees.
Union members were reportedly informed by Labor Department officials that Musk and his team would be visiting and advised to comply with their requests without resistance or inquiry. The Justice Department countered the unions’ claims, asserting that there is no evidence of illegal activities and that the judge should not impose a broad order based solely on speculative fears that the Labor Department might infringe the law.
In an earlier development, a different judge temporarily limited DOGE’s access to Treasury systems that oversee trillions of dollars in annual payments, restricting two employees to “read only” access. One employee, Marko Elez, resigned after being associated with controversial social media remarks, but Musk announced on Friday that Elez would be reinstated. Furthermore, thirteen states have expressed intentions to file lawsuits concerning DOGE’s access to federal payment systems.
