Thousands Protest DOGE Cuts to Social Security, Education

A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order blocking Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing sensitive personal data from the Social Security Administration (SSA), citing violations of privacy and administrative laws. The ruling came after concerns were raised about DOGE's unrestricted access to data of over 70 million beneficiaries. In response, SSA's acting commissioner threatened to shut down operations, which could jeopardize Social Security payments for millions if the court ruling is upheld. Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander's order mandates that DOGE delete all non-anonymized data and can only access redacted datasets after proper training. Civil rights groups and labor unions have condemned the collaboration between the SSA and DOGE, arguing it undermines public trust. The situation has spurred nationwide protests against potential privatization of Social Security and the Postal Service.