Tag Archives: Leland Dudek

Explícame: DOGE must delete the Social Security data in its possession as well as the software it installed

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The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been ordered to immediately delete all Social Security data in its possession, along with the software it installed on the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) systems. This directive comes from federal district judge Ellen Hollander, marking a significant moment in the ongoing battle for privacy rights in the United States. The ruling serves as a stern rebuke to DOGE’s methods, which were justified under the guise of fraud prevention.

The decision, as reported by The (Raleigh) News & Observer, follows a lawsuit initiated by unions and retiree organizations. These groups argued that DOGE’s access to sensitive SSA records violated privacy laws and jeopardized the security of highly confidential data. The court’s ruling highlights the tension between government oversight and individual privacy rights.

Judge Hollander’s resolution was unequivocal: “Rooting out potential fraud, waste and mismanagement at SSA is in the public interest. But that doesn’t mean the government can break the law to do it”. She criticized the rationale provided by SSA’s interim commissioner, Leland Dudek, deeming it insufficient to justify such intrusive access.

The court not only denied DOGE’s request for unlimited data access but also mandated corrective actions: “DOGE must delete the Social Security data in its possession as well as the software it installed,” as covered by The (Raleigh) News & Observer. This decision underscores the judiciary’s role in safeguarding privacy against overreach.

DOGE must delete the Social Security data in its possession as well as the software it installed

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/doge-must-delete-the-social-security-data-in-its-possession-as-well-as-the-software-it-installed/ar-AA1FmN4Z

Daily Beast: DOGE Goons Physically Drag Social Security Worker From Desk

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The high-ranking civil servant had opposed a plan to push out migrants by falsely listing them as dead.

A senior executive at the Social Security Administration was physically dragged from his office this week after clashing with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), according to The Washington Post.

Greg Pearre, a career civil servant who led an IT team working on the agency’s data systems, was removed over his opposition to a DOGE plan to cut off immigrants from key financial services, three people told the Post.

The scheme cooked up by Elon Musk’s DOGE squad falsely lists thousands of migrants as dead in a Social Security database known as the “death master file.”

Being entered into the death database cuts a person off from crucial financial services, like the ability to receive government benefits and access a bank account or credit card. The goal was to push migrants who were granted a temporary legal status under former President Joe Biden to “self deport.”

DOGE Goons Physically Drag Social Security Worker from Desk
The high-ranking civil servant had opposed a plan to push out migrants by falsely listing them as dead.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/doge-goons-physically-drag-social-security-worker-from-desk

New York Times: Pressuring Migrants to ‘Self-Deport,’ White House Moves to Cancel Social Security Numbers

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By placing migrants in Social Security’s “death master file,” the Trump administration is seeking to cut off their access to credit cards, bank accounts and other financial services.

People who have been here LEGALLY may soon discover that they are “dead”.

Since taking office, the Trump administration has moved aggressively to revoke the temporary legal status of hundreds of thousands of immigrants who were allowed into the country under President Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Now, the administration is taking drastic steps to pressure some of those immigrants and others who had legal status to “self-deport” by effectively canceling the Social Security numbers they had lawfully obtained, according to documents reviewed by The New York Times and interviews with six people familiar with the plans.

The goal is to cut those people off from using crucial financial services like bank accounts and credit cards, along with their access to government benefits.

The effort hinges on a surprising new tactic: repurposing Social Security’s “death master file,” which for years has been used to track dead people who should no longer receive benefits, to include the names of living people who the government believes should be treated as if they are dead.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/10/us/politics/migrants-deport-social-security-doge.html

Guardian: Doge’s attack on social security causing ‘complete, utter chaos’, staff says

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Understaffed agency sent into ‘death spiral’ as employees warn Musk-led cuts will lead to structural collapse

Office closures, staffing and service cuts, and policy changes at the Social Security Administration (SSA) have caused “complete, utter chaos” and are threatening to send the agency into a “death spiral”, according to workers at the agency.

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The SSA website has crashed several times this month. Wired reported Doge staff want to migrate all social security data and rewrite code in months, which could cause system collapse and further outages.

The agency plans to eliminate the jobs of 7,000 workers at the agency through voluntary buyouts, resignations or firings, though the union representing SSA employees anticipate even more firings beyond cutting staff to 50,000 workers.

Acting commissioner Leland Dudek has acknowledged to staff that Doge are making the decisions at the agency. Musk, Donald Trump and others have claimed action is being taken to tackle widespread fraud at the agency.

Dudek was appointed acting commissioner after he reportedly secretly shared information with Doge staff. He has threatened to shut down the agency in response to a court order barring Doge from accessing the data.

Doge’s attack on social security causing ‘complete, utter chaos’, staff says
Understaffed agency sent into ‘death spiral’ as employees warn Musk-led cuts will lead to structural collapse

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/06/musk-doge-social-security

Newsweek: Social Security Close to ‘Total System Collapse’

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The former Social Security commissioner Martin O’Malley has said the government department is on the brink of “total system collapse” under the Trump administration.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) currently pays out retirement, survivor and disability benefits to more than 70 million Americans. But recent changes made by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its current commissioner have come under considerable scrutiny.

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, O’Malley said: “The Musk/Trump co-presidency has already taken 90% of the actions necessary to drive Social Security into a total system collapse.”

Social Security close to ‘total system collapse’: Ex-head
Martin O’Malley said the current administration has “taken 90 percent of the actions necessary to drive Social Security into a total system collapse.”

Social Security Close to ‘Total System Collapse’: Ex-Head – Newsweek