Latest news with #4thCircuit
Time of India
19 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
US court allows DOGE access to Education Department data: Here's how it impacts students
A recent ruling by a federal appeals court has significant implications for students across the United States. On August 12, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in Richmond, Virginia, overturned a preliminary injunction that had previously blocked the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, from accessing sensitive records at the U.S. Department of Education, as well as the Treasury Department and the Office of Personnel Management. The decision restores DOGE's access to federal databases while the broader legal challenge continues. What is DOGE and why does it matter for students? DOGE was established under the Trump administration to improve efficiency across federal agencies. The office, closely associated with Elon Musk, who served as an informal adviser to former President Trump, has employees embedded in multiple agencies to review operations and data. Although Musk stepped down from his White House role in May 2025, DOGE continues its work. According to the EdWeek , the American Federation of Teachers, along with other unions and individuals, had challenged DOGE's access, arguing that it violated the Privacy Act of 1974 and placed sensitive data at risk. Specifically, the lawsuit noted DOGE employees accessed the Student Loan Data System, which contains records of approximately 43 million Americans, including teachers. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like When Knee Pain Hits, Start Eating These Foods, and Feel Your Pain Go Away (It's Genius) Click Here Undo The suit did not allege that K-12 student records were accessed. The court's reasoning In its 2-1 decision, the 4th Circuit cited procedural issues with the lawsuit and indicated that the plaintiffs would likely have difficulty proving a violation of the Privacy Act. According to the EdWeek, Judge Julius N. Richardson, a Trump appointee, wrote that DOGE employees are tasked with a broad duty to improve agency efficiency and would find it challenging to know what needs reform without reviewing the data. Judge Richardson further noted that 'each plaintiff's information is one row in various databases that are millions upon millions of rows long,' suggesting that the potential harm from granting access to a handful of government employees differs in kind from the risks posed by reporters, investigators, or paparazzi. The majority also referenced a U.S. Supreme Court order in June that allowed DOGE employees access to Social Security Administration files, which similarly faced privacy concerns. According to the EdWeek , Richardson stated, 'This case and that one are exceedingly similar'. In dissent, Judge Robert B. King, a Clinton appointee, argued that the district court had provided a thorough analysis demonstrating the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits of their Privacy Act claim. He described DOGE's access as 'sudden, unfettered, unprecedented, and apparently unnecessary' and emphasised the sensitivity of the personal information involved. Implications for students For students, this ruling highlights the ongoing tension between government efficiency initiatives and the safeguarding of personal data. While K-12 records were not part of the lawsuit, the ruling still involves access to large federal education databases, which could include higher education loan records and other student-related information. It underscores the need for students and educators to remain aware of how personal data is accessed and managed at the federal level. The case is not yet fully resolved. The full 4th Circuit is expected to examine the broader implications of DOGE's access in the Social Security Administration case in September, which may provide further clarity on the limits and oversight of such government data initiatives. As legal proceedings continue, students and education stakeholders may see changes in how government offices access and use sensitive educational and personal data, making this a topic worth monitoring closely. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
Washington Post
a day ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Federal appeals court clears DOGE to access sensitive records at agencies
A divided appeals court panel on Tuesday said the Trump administration's U.S. DOGE Service can access sensitive data held by federal agencies, rejecting concerns that the move runs afoul of privacy law. In a 2-1 decision, a panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit concluded that plaintiffs in the case, a group that includes labor unions and individual people receiving government benefits, had failed to show they could prevail in their legal challenge. The plaintiffs had asked courts to keep DOGE representatives from accessing personal information held by the Treasury Department, Office of Personnel Management and Education Department, saying that this action violated federal privacy law. Judge Julius N. Richardson, joined by Judge G. Steven Agee, wrote that the plaintiffs in the case "have struggled to show" they suffered harm in the case. Federal privacy law 'does not prohibit sharing information with those whose jobs give them good reason to access it,' Richardson wrote. He also suggested it made sense that DOGE affiliates 'tasked with modernizing an agency's software and IT systems would require administrator-level access to those systems, including any internal databases.' Richardson was nominated to the bench by Trump during his first term; Agee was nominated by President George W. Bush. Trump in January signed an executive order creating DOGE — which stands for the Department of Government Efficiency, though it is not a Cabinet-level agency — and ordered agency heads to give it 'full and prompt access to all unclassified agency records, software systems, and IT systems.' DOGE has been one of the most contentious initiatives of Trump's second term, spurring internal disputes within the administration and legal challenges. Trump ally Elon Musk oversaw it before he stepped away from the government. Plaintiffs in this case had sued to block DOGE from accessing personal information, and a judge in Maryland granted the request. The Trump administration appealed, accusing the judge of micromanaging the Executive Branch. Richardson and Agee agreed in April to stay the lower court's action amid the administration's appeal. Writing on Tuesday, the judges pointed to a U.S. Supreme Court order in another dispute involving DOGE and sensitive data. The high court in June had cleared the way for DOGE to access Social Security Administration data in a separate case, saying this was needed for its 'members to do their work.' 'This case and that one are exceedingly similar,' Richardson, joined by Agee, wrote Tuesday. They vacated the lower court's order and sent the matter back there for further proceedings. In a dissent, Judge Robert B. King wrote that the lower court had 'acted quickly — but extremely carefully' in temporarily blocking DOGE from accessing certain information. King, who was nominated by President Bill Clinton, said he would have kept the lower court order in place.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
DOGE lands big legal win as appeals court strikes down preliminary injunction
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) landed a major legal win on Tuesday. A federal appeals court has ruled DOGE can access certain potentially sensitive data on Americans – from the Departments of Education, Treasury and from the Office of Personnel Management. A panel of judges from the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals lifted a preliminary injunction that had blocked access temporarily, citing privacy concerns. The computerized data could include access to Social Security numbers and immigration and citizenship status. The case will continue to be litigated on the merits, but for now it is a legal victory for the Trump administration. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
US court says Trump's Doge team can access sensitive data
A US appeal court on Tuesday rejected a bid by a group of unions to block the Trump administration's government downsizing team known as the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) from accessing sensitive data on Americans. The Virginia-based 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, said the unions were unlikely to prevail on claims that Doge would violate federal privacy laws by accessing data at the US Department of Education, the Treasury Department, and the Office of Personnel Management. The court refused to block Doge's access to the agencies' computer systems and data such as Social Security numbers and individuals' citizenship status pending the outcome of the case. The decision reverses a temporary injunction issued by a federal judge in Maryland, which had been paused by the appeal court in April. The agencies involved in the case and the unions that sued, which include the American Federation of Teachers and the National Federation of Federal Employees, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Amy Gleason, acting administrator of Doge, speaks during an event on improving Americans' access to their medical records at the White House in July. Photo: AP President Donald Trump, after taking office in January, launched Doge, then headed by billionaire Elon Musk, to dramatically shrink government bureaucracy and federal spending.
Washington Post
06-08-2025
- Washington Post
Appeals court overturns ruling that Richmond police targeted Black drivers
A federal appeals court panel has ruled that police officers in Richmond did not show a pattern of disproportionately targeting Black drivers for traffic stops, overturning a lower-court decision from last year that took local law enforcement to task for alleged racial disparities in policing. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit unanimously found that the officers stopped Keith Moore, the defendant in the case, in 2020 because he was driving a vehicle with a fake temporary license tag, not because he was Black.
