Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Access to Treasury Records

In a move to protect sensitive information, a federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from accessing Treasury Department records containing personal information, such as Social Security numbers. This decision comes in response to a lawsuit filed in New York’s Southern District Court, alleging that the administration exceeded its authority and violated the US Constitution’s separation of powers doctrine.

The Lawsuit

The lawsuit, filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, alleges that the administration granted DOGE, a digital currency founded by Elon Musk, access to the Treasury’s federal payments system. The suit claims that this access was granted without proper authority and without following the necessary administrative procedures.

The Order

District Judge Paul A. Engelmeyer’s order prohibits the Trump administration from granting access to Treasury Department payment records, payment systems, or any other data systems maintained by the Treasury Department containing personally identifiable information and/or confidential financial information of payees. The order also requires that those prohibited from accessing the records must immediately destroy any and all copies of material downloaded from the Treasury Department’s records and systems since January 20th, 2025.

The Multistate Coalition

The lawsuit is part of a multistate coalition led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, with attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin joining the effort.

What’s at Stake

The lawsuit is one of several levied against Trump’s administration since he took office, including a separate one over DOGE’s access to Treasury records filed on February 3rd. Responding to other legal action, federal judges have also blocked Trump’s executive order targeting birthright citizenship, with one calling it “blatantly unconstitutional.”

In a press release announcing the lawsuit, New York Attorney General Letitia James explained, “President Trump does not have the power to give away Americans’ private information to anyone he chooses, and he cannot cut federal payments approved by Congress. Musk and DOGE have no authority to access Americans’ private information and some of our country’s most sensitive data.”

This decision is a significant blow to the Trump administration’s efforts to grant DOGE access to sensitive information, and it highlights the importance of protecting Americans’ personal data.