POLITICS NEWS – Federal judge Chutkan halts states’ attempt to block DOGE

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

On Tuesday, a federal judge ruled against efforts by Democratic states to temporarily block the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing data and terminating federal workers in certain agencies. While the judge sided with DOGE, she expressed skepticism regarding Elon Musk’s involvement with the department.

The ruling followed a government filing on Monday night asserting that Musk was not technically involved with DOGE and was not leading any initiatives related to it. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan appeared doubtful of both sides before ultimately issuing a ruling in DOGE’s favor. She denied a request for a temporary restraining order, stating there was no “clear evidence of imminent, irreparable harm to these plaintiffs.”

However, Judge Chutkan also criticized the government’s legal team for arguing that DOGE had no real authority over personnel actions. She later wrote, “Plaintiffs legitimately call into question what appears to be the unchecked authority of an elected individual and an entity that was not created by Congress and over which it has no oversight.”