The Department of Labor has blocked President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from obtaining masses of federal data.
Newsweek sought email comment from DOGE and the Department of Labor on Friday.
Why It Matters
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the head of DOGE, has said he wants to cut the federal budget by $2 trillion a year and has begun a process of collecting information ahead of drastic cuts in many government departments.
If federal departments stop DOGE data collection, it could have a major impact on Trump's plan to impose major cuts on the federal budget.
What To Know
On February 5, the Labor Department reached an agreement with a coalition of labor unions, in which the department agreed not to release any data to DOGE.
DOGE wants the information to implement major budget cuts on the Labor Department.
The agreement came hours after the trade unions went before Washington, D.C. federal judge John D. Bates seeking a temporary restraining order preventing the Department of Labor from releasing the data.
Bates said he would have a full hearing on the case on February 7 before deciding on whether to issue a temporary restraining order against the Labor Department.
What People Are Saying
In an order on February 5, federal judge John D. Bates announced that the trade unions had reached an agreement with the Labor Department.
"This evening, Defendants represented to the Court that DOL (Department of Labor) will not allow DOGE access to any DOL data until after this Court rules on the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) motion on Friday. On the basis of that representation, the Court will reserve its decision on the TRO until after it holds a hearing on the motion on Friday," Bates said.
In their legal submissions to Bates, the American Federation of Labor and other federal worker trade unions claimed that DOGE had a radical agenda that would cripple the federal government.
"DOGE seeks to gain access to sensitive systems before courts can stop them, dismantle agencies before Congress can assert its prerogatives in the federal budget, and intimidate and threaten employees who stand in their way, worrying about the consequences later," the lawsuit said.
"The results have already been catastrophic. DOGE has seized control of some of the most carefully-protected information systems housed at the Treasury Department, taken hold of all sensitive personnel information at the Office of Personnel Management, and dismantled an entire agency within a week."
What Happens Next
Bates will hold a full hearing on the case at 2:30 p.m. ET on Friday, February 7. Anyone who wants to hear the case live can use a public call in line at: 833-990-9400 and will be prompted to type in the meeting ID: 367524674.
After hearing the case, Bates will decide whether to impose a temporary restraining order on the Labor Department, ahead of a longer series of hearings. After those hearings, Bates, or possibly another federal judge, will decide whether to impose a permanent injunction preventing the Labor Department from sharing data with DOGE.
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