A judge in Manhattan has temporarily blocked Elon Musk's access to sensitive Treasury data. This decision comes after concerns that Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) could compromise American citizens' private information. New York Attorney General Letitia James, representing a group of 18 other Democratic state attorneys general, celebrated this legal victory, saying, "This morning, we won a court order blocking Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, from accessing Americans’ private data," in a report by Gothamist.

The controversy centers around the access DOGE was granted to the U.S. Treasury Department’s payment system, which distributes funds to federal agencies. The data includes sensitive information like Social Security benefits and federal tax refunds. Judge Paul Engelmayer of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled in favor of the states, stating the potential for "irreparable harm" if this sensitive data were exposed, as mentioned in a Gothamist report.

The Democratic attorneys general argued that DOGE's access lacked a "privacy impact assessment," and they claimed the Trump administration exceeded its authority by allowing outsiders to view these records. The federal judge’s order temporarily blocked the policy change. As per the USA Today report, AG James's statement emphasized, "As the richest man in the world, Elon Musk is not used to being told ‘no,’ but in our country, no one is above the law."

The White House has dismissed the legal challenge. Harrison Fields, principal deputy White House press secretary, said, "Every action taken by the Trump-Vance administration is fully legal and compliant with federal law," in a statement obtained by USA Today. The administration will return to court on Friday to defend their position. Another lawsuit filed by labor unions already limits DOGE’s access to just two people with "read only" privileges.