A federal judge extended a block prohibiting DOGE from accessing Americans’ personal data from the Social Security Administration, stating that such access likely violates federal law. “The DOGE Team seeks access to the [personally identifiable information] that millions of Americans entrusted to SSA, and the SSA Defendants have agreed to provide it,” District Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander wrote in her order.

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Friday, April 18

DOGE is still blocked from sensitive Social Security data

- A federal judge continued ([link removed] ) to block DOGE from accessing Americans’ personal data from the Social Security Administration, stating that such access likely violates federal law.

- “The DOGE Team seeks access to the [personally identifiable information] that millions of Americans entrusted to SSA, and the SSA Defendants have agreed to provide it,” District Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander wrote in her order. “For some 90 years, SSA has been guided by the foundational principle of an expectation of privacy with respect to its records. This case exposes a wide fissure in the foundation.”

A judge halted the Trump administration’s dismantling of the agency tasked with protecting people from financial fraud

- A judge blocked ([link removed] ) President Donald Trump from firing 90% of the employees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — the nation’s independent financial fraud protection agency.

- During Friday’s hearing, District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said she's “deeply concerned” that the layoffs violated her earlier order halting attempts to dismantle the bureau.

Congressional Democrats demand answers on election security measures from the nation’s cybersecurity agency

- In their third letter to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) demanded answers from senior Trump officials about the status of the agency’s election-related work.

- Since Trump’s return to the White House, his administration has gutted ([link removed] ) CISA and laid off ([link removed] ) much of its staff — including the agency’s crucial election security staff.

- “These staff and funding cuts raise grave concerns about the security and integrity of upcoming elections, where states and localities with limited budgets must protect their systems against foreign nation-states,” the congressmen wrote in their most recent letter.

Voting rights organization continues to challenge provisions of Georgia’s voter suppression law

- The voting rights organization Coalition for Good Governance (CGG) appealed ([link removed] ) a recent court ruling that dismissed a challenge to several provisions of Georgia’s voter suppression law, Senate Bill 202.

- The provisions of SB 202 that CGG is challenging include ([link removed] ) the State Election Board takeover provision, gag rule, photography ban and absentee voting provisions. Last month, a federal judge found that the plaintiffs lacked standing in their challenge.

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