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A powerful coalition of labor unions and advocacy organizations has filed a preliminary injunction to halt the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, from accessing sensitive data within the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The motion, filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, escalates the ongoing Union Data Privacy Lawsuit Against DOGE, arguing that the agency’s access to federal record systems poses a serious threat to the privacy rights of millions of Americans.

“These agencies have granted DOGE on-demand access to Social Security numbers, medical information, and other deeply personal data without proper justification,” said representatives for the plaintiffs, which include the AFL-CIO, AFGE, AFSCME, SEIU, CWA, AFT, and several advocacy groups. “The government’s vague justification of searching for ‘waste, fraud, and abuse’ is insufficient and unlawful.”

The plaintiffs assert that DOGE’s access violates the Privacy Act of 1974 and the Administrative Procedure Act, stating that DOGE’s operations have created a de facto policy that circumvents existing safeguards. The unions emphasized that DOGE personnel often accessed these systems without proper training or authorization, raising significant security and ethical concerns.

“‘Waste, fraud, and abuse’ are not magic words,” the plaintiffs wrote in their motion. “They cannot justify granting DOGE team members sweeping access to Americans’ most sensitive information.”

In recent discovery, the unions say they uncovered evidence that DOL and HHS granted DOGE “unfettered, on-demand access” to their most sensitive systems—access that was not afforded to any other government entity. They argue this access is being granted solely based on internal executive orders with no formal oversight or explanation.

Attorney Aman George of Democracy Forward, representing the unions, stated:

“Elon Musk and his DOGE staff are accessing private data that he could unlawfully profit from. It is a profound violation of public trust, and we urge the court to stop this data breach immediately.”

The request for preliminary injunction follows multiple legal filings in the broader case AFL-CIO et al. v. U.S. Department of Labor et al., Case No. 1:25-cv-00339. While previous motions for temporary restraining orders were denied, U.S. District Judge John D. Bates has allowed parts of the case to proceed and noted the need for strong evidence regarding standing and imminent access.

The plaintiffs argue they are likely to prevail on the merits of their case and that immediate relief is necessary to prevent ongoing, irreparable harm to union members.

“This is a matter of fundamental rights,” the coalition said. “Our members never consented to DOGE’s access and face ongoing privacy violations every day this access continues.”

Legal representation for the plaintiffs includes teams from the Democracy Forward Foundation and Relman Colfax PLLC, along with in-house counsel for several unions. The U.S. Department of Justice is representing DOGE, DOL, HHS, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.