Judge appears unlikely to immediately halt DOGE access and firings

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., on Monday hinted she might not throw up immediate roadblocks to Elon Musk's infiltration of the nation's government agencies, where he and his team have accessed sensitive data and enacted a flurry of firings.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said at a hearing Monday that she needed to see more evidence of imminent harm before she granted a request by a group of states for a temporary restraining order to stop Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency team from entering federal agency data systems and prohibited their making personnel decisions about federal employees.

Chutkan told an attorney for the states that she found the potential harm of DOGE's actions "concerning" and "troubling, indeed," but that she needed to see more specifics aside from “a generalized fear that this is going to happen.” 

We’re looking to hear from federal government workers. If you’re willing to talk with us, please email us at tips@nbcuni.com or contact us through one of these methods.

At the same time, Chutkan called out a Justice Department lawyer for failing to confirm whether thousands of federal employees had been fired since Friday and what additional firings were planned in the next two weeks. She asked the lawyer to investigate that and report back to her.

“DOGE’s actions in this arena have been very unpredictable and scattershot,” she said, adding that she didn’t know whether DOGE’s unpredictability was “by design or because of the scope of their remit.”

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between killed New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

FOR SUBSCRIBERSMore oil is getting out of the Middle East. Why is it still so expensive?

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe complicated bargain between ‘looksmaxxing’ influencer Clavicular and the women in his orbit

FOR SUBSCRIBERSSenators unveil bipartisan bill to deliver essential newborn supply kits to new moms

Chutkan said she aimed to issue a decision on the states' request within 24 hours.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between killed New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

FOR SUBSCRIBERSMore oil is getting out of the Middle East. Why is it still so expensive?

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe complicated bargain between ‘looksmaxxing’ influencer Clavicular and the women in his orbit

FOR SUBSCRIBERSSenators unveil bipartisan bill to deliver essential newborn supply kits to new moms

At a hearing Friday, Chutkan likewise declined to back a request by the states for a temporary restraining order, saying the relief they sought was too broad.

Thousands of federal employees have been placed on leave or fired in recent weeks. They include nearly 300 employees with the Federal Aviation Administration who were fired over the weekend, according to an employees' union; hundreds of employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including fellows responsible for key public health roles; Transportation Department workers; Department of Homeland Security employees; and immigration judges, among others.