A federal judge has rejected a request to promptly prevent DOGE personnel from accessing the personal data of Americans stored at the Department of Education.
U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss, serving in the District of Columbia, stated in an order issued yesterday that the plaintiff, the University California Student Association, “has failed to clear” the “essential hurdle” by not demonstrating how it would likely experience irreparable harm without an emergency injunction.
“UCSA is correct that the disclosure of information generally cannot be ‘undone,’ … but that alone is not enough to establish irreparable harm,” the judge stated.
The judge further explained, “What UCSA fails to recognize is that the context of the dissemination is significant. Courts typically perceive the dissemination of information as an irreparable injury in situations where, for instance, highly sensitive information may become public or falls into the hands of individuals without any obligation to maintain confidentiality.”
Judge Moss, appointed by former President Barack Obama, also emphasized that the UCSA presented “no evidence, aside from mere speculation, that would enable the Court to conclude that ED or DOGE personnel will misuse or further distribute this information.”
