“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.
