The United States District Court for the District of Maryland has granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) in a case involving the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO, and others against the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The order, issued on March 20, 2025, restricts access to sensitive personally identifiable information (PII) held by the SSA.

Key Provisions of the Order

1. Restriction on Access to PII: The SSA is prohibited from granting access to any of its systems containing PII to the DOGE, its affiliates, or individuals associated with Elon Musk and Amy Gleason. This includes records from the Enterprise Data Warehouse, Numident, Master Beneficiary Record, and Supplemental Security Record.
2. Data Disposal and Software Removal: The DOGE defendants and their affiliates must delete all non-anonymized PII data obtained from SSA systems since January 20, 2025. They are also required to remove any software installed on SSA devices or systems since that date.
3. Conditions for Access: While the SSA can provide redacted or anonymized data to DOGE team members, this is contingent upon those individuals completing required training and background checks. Access to non-anonymized data requires a detailed justification and court review.
4. Compliance Reporting: The SSA must submit a status report by March 24, 2025, detailing actions taken to comply with the order, including ensuring that all necessary training and background checks are completed for individuals seeking access to SSA systems.

The order is set to expire in fourteen days unless extended by the court. The parties involved are expected to confer on a schedule for limited discovery and a briefing schedule for a potential preliminary injunction motion, with a joint status report due by March 27, 2025.