We're so busy suing Trump that we haven't even had time to tell you much about this particular case.
Here are the basics:
- In order to apply for and participate in federal financial aid programs, students must submit sensitive personal information to the Department of Education and authorize the Department to access their tax records.
- The Department of Education retains this information for millions of current and former students and their family members.
- Under the federal Privacy Act, the Internal Revenue Code, and the Department of Education's own regulations, access to these records is strictly controlled, and these records may be used only for specified purposes.
- Yet Elon Musk's "DOGE" squad got access to the computer systems that house this data.
- Last Friday, Public Citizen — representing the University of California Student Association, with co-counsel at Student Defense — sued to block "DOGE" from perpetrating this massive, dangerous, and unprecedented invasion of privacy.
- "DOGE" has also infiltrated other federal agencies, including the Treasury Department. After we sued to stop that, the judge restricted "DOGE" access at least until a hearing in two weeks.
On Tuesday, the judge issued an order restricting "DOGE" access at the Department of Education at least until February 17 while our lawsuit goes forward.
We will be back in court this Friday to make the case that "DOGE" should be locked out of the Department of Education permanently.
Again, this is one of six lawsuits Public Citizen has already filed over unlawful actions by the Trump regime — we've been emailing you updates about some of the others — and there are more to come.
If you can, please donate today to support Public Citizen's work standing up to the Trump regime.
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If you've donated to Public Citizen already, thank you. If a donation is not right, we get it. Either way, we wanted to keep you updated on how we're challenging the Trump regime.
Thank you for being part of this shared project called Public Citizen.
For justice and democracy,
- Lisa Gilbert & Robert Weissman, Co-Presidents of Public Citizen
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