A federal judge has given the Trump administration a partial win in the debate over the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) accessing Treasury Department data.
US District Judge Jeannette A. Vargas previously issued an injunction in February prohibiting DOGE members from viewing the data after a lawsuit complained that they should not have access to sensitive information. The plaintiffs claimed the department was “acting arbitrarily and capriciously by failing to adequately consider the numerous privacy and security problems.”
Vargas stated that the rollout of the initiative was “chaotic and haphazard” due to a lack of proper oversight, vetting, and training for the team members involved.
The Treasury Department later provided documentation showing that a member of the DOGE team received the requisite clearance and training. The court allowed him to access the data even though the rest of the injunction remained in place.
The Treasury Department then asked the court to remove the injunction, assuring it that the rest of the team also met those requirements. The plaintiffs acknowledged this, but still opposed lifting the whole injunction.
Judge Vargas split the baby in her most recent ruling. She modified the injunction instead of lifting it entirely. The ruling insists that future DOGE members must adhere to certain protocols.
“Plaintiffs are not obligated to simply rely on Defendants’ assurances that they will continue to comply with the practices that have been put in place in the absence of a mandate from this Court,” she wrote.
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However, she also conceded that obtaining judicial approval each time the team hires a new member is impractical. The judge noted that there is “little utility in having this Court function as Treasury’s de facto human resources officer.” This means DOGE can hire and assign members to the Treasury Department as long as they meet the standards Vargas laid out.
DOGE Team members may now gain access as long as they meet five specific criteria, including proper vetting, training, and supervision. The court emphasized: “Defendants are not required to obtain a judicial determination that a particular individual has satisfied the Training, Vetting and Mitigation Procedures before such person may be granted access to Treasury Payment Systems.”
While Vargas kept the injunction in place, it appears DOGE has a green light to access Treasury Department data. The requirements could lessen the chances that sensitive information is mishandled. All in all, this is more of a victory for the Trump administration than its opponents, who appear hellbent on hampering the team’s efforts to eliminate waste.
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