Judge Signals Likely Rejection of Bid to Halt DOGE’s Widespread Layoffs and Data Access

After an hour-long virtual hearing, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan stated she would rule within 24 hours on a request from 14 state attorneys general seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent DOGE from terminating employees or accessing data from multiple federal agencies.

The request aims to block actions involving the Departments of Education, Labor, Health and Human Services, Energy, Transportation, Commerce, and the Office of Personnel Management, tied to President Donald Trump’s campaign pledge to downsize the federal government.

The 14 states filed a federal lawsuit Thursday, arguing that Musk’s “sweeping authority” violates the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which requires Senate confirmation for principal officers of the U.S. government. Judge Chutkan, describing the restraining order request as “prophylactic,” voiced skepticism over issuing a broad ruling, noting the plaintiffs had yet to demonstrate concrete harm from DOGE’s actions.

“The court can’t act based on media reports. We can’t do that,” Chutkan said. “The things that I’m hearing are concerning indeed and troubling indeed, but I have to have a record, and I have to make a finding on the facts before I issue something.”