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Federal judge temporarily restricts DOGE access to personalized Social Security data
A federal judge in Baltimore issued a preliminary injunction Thursday restricting the Department of Government Efficiency’s access to Social Security data.
U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander, an Obama appointee, said DOGE-affiliated staffers must purge any of the non-anonymized Social Security data that they have received since Jan. 20. They are also barred from making any changes to the computer code or software used by the Social Security Administration, must remove any software or code they might have already installed, and are forbidden from disclosing any of that code to others.
The injunction does allow DOGE staffers to access data that’s been redacted or stripped of anything personally identifiable, if they undergo training and background checks.
«The objective to address fraud, waste, mismanagement, and bloat is laudable, and one that the American public presumably applauds and supports,» Hollander wrote in the ruling issued late Thursday night. «Indeed, the taxpayers have every right to expect their government to make sure that their hard earned money is not squandered.»
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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.
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«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.
The insignia of the Social Security Administration. (Fox News)
But attorneys for the plaintiffs called it «a sea change» in terms of how the agency handles sensitive information.
Skye Perryman, President and CEO of the legal services group Democracy Forward, which is behind the lawsuit, said the ruling has brought «significant relief for the millions of people who depend on the Social Security Administration to safeguard their most personal and sensitive information.»
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Hollander made clear that her order didn’t apply to SSA workers who aren’t affiliated with DOGE, so they can still access any data they use in the course of ordinary work. But DOGE staffers who want access to the anonymized data must first undergo the typical training and background checks required of other Social Security Administration staffers, she said.
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.
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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.
Politics,Social Security,Social Security,Elon Musk
INTERNACIONAL
GOP senators say Trump’s strikes ‘significantly degraded’ Iran but emphasize attacks not ‘forever wars’
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PALM BEACH, Fla. — One week into the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, two Republican senators on the Senate Armed Services Committee say the military operation has «degraded» Tehran’s ability to strike back.
But in exclusive interviews with Fox News Digital, senators Rick Scott of Florida and Ted Budd of North Carolina emphasized the fighting will not lead to U.S. involvement in «forever wars» in the volatile Middle East.
«Our military is doing a great job,» Scott said. Pointing to Iran, he added, «They want to destroy America. We’ve got to stop them.»
Budd highlighted that «we have significantly degraded Iran’s ability to shoot back at us. … Their capacities are degraded. We’ve had great success.»
Budd and Scott spoke while attending an economic conference in Florida hosted by the Club for Growth, an influential and politically potent conservative group that pushes for fiscal responsibility.
President Donald Trump, who called for Iran’s «unconditional surrender,» said Saturday that Tehran will be «hit very hard» and warned the U.S. is considering «areas and groups» not previously considered as targets.
Over the past week, Operation Epic Fury has widened in scope as Iran has retaliated against a growing number of nations in the region. This week, the Republican-controlled House and Senate, in separate votes nearly entirely along party lines, rejected moves by Democrats to restrict the president’s ability to steer the fighting.
WHAT COULD COME NEXT IN THE ATTACKS ON IRAN
The president said Thursday in an interview with Axios he should be involved in choosing Iran’s next leader. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the initial strikes against Iran a week ago.
And there are concerns among many on the right that the strikes against Iran could lead to prolonged American military involvement in the region, which Trump has repeatedly campaigned against during his three runs for the presidency.
It’s been one week since the U.S. and Israeli launched military strikes against Iran. (Contributor/Getty Images)
«Trump doesn’t want to be in forever wars. Every time I’ve talked to him, he doesn’t want that,» Scott said. «But I think what we do want to make sure we don’t have another Ayatollah that wants to … chant ‘Death to America’ and ‘death to our allies’ and try to destroy us.»
Budd added that «we’re not up for forever wars. We want to get in, get this thing done, get out and have peace for our country and the rest of the region.»
The latest Fox News national poll indicated that American voters are divided on the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran even as a majority sees the country as a security risk.
Sixty-one percent of those questioned viewed Iran as a danger to the U.S., according to the survey conducted Feb. 28-March 2. But that concern did not translate into majority support for the current U.S. military action, as 50% approved and 50% disapproved.
Support for the attacks was lower in national polling from other news organizations.
But the Fox News poll and the other surveys indicated widespread support among Republicans.
«Trump’s doing the right thing. He’s saving American lives by making sure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon or ballistic missile. So, he’s doing the right thing,» Scott emphasized.
Budd added, «I’m very excited [about] what President Trump’s done. … The goal is American prosperity and American safety, and that’s what President Trump wants.»
Oil prices have shot up since the start of the fighting, instantly resulting in higher costs for gasoline across America. That’s a major concern for Republicans as they aim to keep control of the House and Senate majorities in this year’s midterm elections.
A driver refuels a vehicle at a Wawa gas station in Media, Pa., March 2, 2026. Oil and gas prices have shot up in the past week amid the strikes against Iran. (Matthew Hatcher/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
«Hopefully it’s all going to be short term. Hopefully … the demolition of the Iranian military will happen quickly and actually will get lower oil prices,» Scott said.
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Budd acknowledged «we are going to have some short-term disruptions.»
But the senator was optimistic that «very soon we’ll have gas prices much cheaper than ever before. We were already on that pathway. President Trump is all about stability. He’s all about the price of oil.»
donald trump,war with iran,iran,ted budd,republicans,middle east foreign policy,defense
INTERNACIONAL
Trump amenaza a Irán con una «destrucción total» y advierte que habrá muchos más muertos
INTERNACIONAL
Al menos 12 muertos y un edificio residencial destruido tras nuevos bombardeos rusos en Kharkiv
Rusia lanzó una oleada de misiles y drones por toda Ucrania la noche del viernes al sábado, una ofensiva que dejó al menos 12 muertos y redujo a escombros un edificio de apartamentos en la ciudad Kharkiv, en el este.
Los reporteros de AFP en esta ciudad, la segunda más poblada de Ucrania antes de la guerra, observaron a los equipos de rescate buscando entre los restos del destrozado bloque de viviendas de estilo soviético de cinco plantas.
Los equipos temen que todavía haya residentes atrapados bajo las ruinas después del ataque de misil, que mató a diez personas, según las autoridades locales.
“Desde la pasada noche, se están retirando los escombros de un edificio residencial en Kharkiv tras un ataque con un misil balístico ruso”, dijo el presidente ucraniano, Volodimir Zelensky, en un mensaje en redes sociales.
El ataque se cobró la vida de una maestra de primaria y de su hijo, informó el alcalde Igor Terejov. Otra mujer murió junto a su hija adolescente, añadió.
La arremetida dejó también varios heridos, incluyendo dos niños, de 6 y 11 años, y una joven de 17.
Zelensky aseguró que Rusia lanzó 29 misiles y 480 drones contra su territorio. Durante la noche, las autoridades activaron la alerta por ataque aéreo en todo el país.
Los ataques también impactaron infraestructura energética y ferroviaria del país, dijo el mandatario.
También afirmó haber informado al presidente francés, Emmanuel Macron, sobre las consecuencias de los ataques durante una conversación telefónica.
Durante la llamada, Zelensky subrayó que era importante que el paquete de ayuda de 90.000 millones de euros de la Unión Europea, así como la próxima ronda de sanciones contra Rusia —actualmente bloqueada por Hungría— “se apliquen finalmente”
Moscú afirmó haber llevado a cabo un “ataque masivo de alta precisión” contra objetivos militares en Ucrania. Rusia niega sistemáticamente haber atacado infraestructuras civiles.
Otra persona murió en la región oriental de Dnipropetrovsk, y un joven de 24 años falleció cuando su coche fue alcanzado por un dron en la región de Sumi, limítrofe con Rusia, dijeron autoridades locales.
En Zaporizhzhia, en el sur, un ataque ruso causó un herido, un bebé, anunció en Telegram el jefe de la administración regional, Ivan Fedorov.
Además, tres personas resultaron heridas en Kiev y otras dos en Chuguiv, en la región de Járkov, según autoridades locales.
(AFP)
Durante el ataque nocturno ruso, la Fuerza Aérea polaca indicó en la red social X que había desplegado aviones militares para proteger su espacio aéreo en las regiones fronterizas con Ucrania, como suele hacer en caso de ofensivas a gran escala.
Esta nueva andanada de misiles y drones ocurre después de un intercambio de 500 prisioneros por bando entre Moscú y Kiev, en virtud de los acuerdos alcanzados durante la última ronda de negociaciones en Ginebra.
Sin embargo, el diálogo parece estancado por la falta de avances significativos y el estallido de la guerra en Oriente Medio.
Según Ucrania, había intenciones de celebrar una nueva ronda de negociaciones esta semana en Abu Dabi, pero la capital de Emiratos Árabes ha sido una de las ciudades golpeadas por los misiles y drones iraníes esta semana.
El lunes, Zelensky sugirió que el próximo encuentro podía tener lugar en Suiza o Turquía, países que ya han acogido rondas previas de diálogo.
La guerra en Oriente Medio también puede repercutir en las capacidades de defensa de Ucrania, que depende en gran medida de los suministros armamentísticos de Estados Unidos.
El responsable de Defensa de la Unión Europea, Andrius Kubilius, advirtió el viernes que Washington no tendrá capacidad para garantizar misiles para su ejército, para sus aliados en el Golfo impactados por los ataques de Teherán y para Ucrania.
Por ello, “se ha vuelto más urgente para nosotros, en Europa, aumentar la producción de sistemas de defensa aérea y de misiles balísticos”, insistió Kubilius.
(Con información de AFP)
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