Trump Seeks Supreme Court’s Help for DOGE Access to Social Security

The Trump administration has formally petitioned the Supreme Court to authorize the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) access to Social Security Records within Social Security Administration systems containing personal data on millions of American citizens. This legal battle centers around the protection of sensitive Social Security records and the government’s ability to investigate potential fraud. The Maryland federal judge’s ruling restricted Elon Musk’s team from accessing these Social Security databases, citing substantial privacy concerns under federal law.

The administration maintains that DOGE requires comprehensive access to Social Security Administration systems to effectively execute its core mandate of identifying and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse within federal government operations. As a result, they’ve requested the Supreme Court to suspend the lower court’s restrictive order on Social Security records access.

Solicitor General John Sauer presented a formal argument that the judge’s limitations could establish a problematic precedent for judicial interference in executive functions. This perspective aligns with President Trump and Republican lawmakers’ consistent criticism of the judiciary’s use of nationwide injunctions that temporarily halt administration initiatives related to Social Security and other federal programs.

“Left undisturbed, this preliminary injunction will only invite further judicial incursions into internal agency decision-making,” Sauer asserted in the official filing regarding Social Security data protection.

Judicial Limitations on DOGE Operations

In a previous ruling, U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander implemented restrictions preventing DOGE from accessing Social Security Administration records. Her decision emphasized the necessity of maintaining the “commitment to the privacy and confidentiality of the personal information entrusted to it by the American people.”

The court’s ruling on Social Security privacy law specified that DOGE personnel could receive “access to redacted or anonymized data and records” after fulfilling specific prerequisites, including:

• Comprehensive privacy law training
• Thorough background investigations
• Adherence to Social Security data protection protocols
• Compliance with federal privacy standards

Administration’s Constitutional Arguments

The administration’s legal position, articulated by Solicitor General Sauer, contends that Judge Hollander’s ruling constitutes inappropriate judicial interference with executive branch authority over Social Security administration systems.

“The district court’s flawed injunction forecloses the executive branch from carrying out the pressing priorities of modernizing government information systems and ferreting out Social Security fraud, waste, and abuse — all at the behest of plaintiffs who gave their information to the agencies with the knowledge that other government employees may access their data,” Sauer stated in formal documentation.

This Supreme Court appeal on Social Security records access follows the administration’s unsuccessful attempt to overturn the judge’s restrictions through the appropriate appeals court. After this judicial setback, the administration elevated the matter to the nation’s highest court.

White House spokeswoman Liz Huston provided an official statement to the Washington Examiner, affirming that “The president will continue to seek all legal remedies available to ensure the will of the American people is executed” regarding restrictions on Social Security data access.