Unions Sue to Block DOGE Access to Labor Department Computer Systems

Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) protests outside the Department of Labor in Washington on Feb. 5, 2025. Labor groups and Democrats there oppose access to department data by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk's time-limited commission. Nathan Worcester/The Epoch Times

WASHINGTON—A coalition of labor unions filed suit against the U.S. Department of Labor and its acting secretary Vince Micone on Feb. 5, in an effort to keep the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing the agency’s computer data.

DOGE, headed by tech billionaire Elon Musk, is also named as a defendant in the suit.

The suit alleges that DOGE plans to illegally access systems data from the Labor Department and “will fire any employee who protects the integrity of those systems.”

“At every step, DOGE is violating multiple laws, from constitutional limits on executive power, to laws protecting civil servants from arbitrary threats and adverse action, to crucial protections for government data collected and stored on hundreds of millions of Americans,” the suit stated.

It also alleges that Musk will have access to data about the Labor Department’s investigations into his business enterprises.

Among others, the plaintiffs include the AFL-CIO, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and the Economic Policy Institute, a think tank based in Washington, D.C. They seek a temporary restraining order or administrative stay against DOGE.

Neither Musk nor spokespersons for DOGE responded to requests for comment by publication time.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday Musk will excuse himself from matters in which he has a conflict of interest.

The lawsuit coincided with a rally outside of the Labor Department building, blocks away from the Capitol building, attended by lawmakers from both chambers of Congress, including Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), and Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.).

The rally was hamstrung by the lack of a sound system. Rally-goers also repeatedly broke into chants, and shouted, “We can’t hear you,” during speeches.

Several counter-protestors chanted “Trump, Trump” during lawmakers’ remarks. One shouted, “What are you doing here, get back in Congress!”

Attendees who are government employees and spoke with The Epoch Times on condition of anonymity expressed frustration with Democrats’ efforts to thwart President Donald Trump and Musk’s cost-cutting plans.

“I think it seems like it’s all words, no action,” said an international development worker using Sarah as her pseudonym.

Her companion, who preferred to go by Allen, echoed the sentiment.

“What fight? That’s the thing that they keep talking about: ‘fighting.’ They’re gonna be years in court, they’re gonna be talking all this [expletive], doing nothing,” he said.

“I’m not inspired by any of those people. I want to be,” he went on, gesturing toward the members of Congress awaiting their turn to speak.

The Labor Department protest was preceded by an earlier rally outside the Russell Senate office building, also featuring speeches and calls to action by lawmakers.

That demonstration was part of a nationwide anti-Trump and Musk protest action that took place in each state’s capital, focusing on the defunding of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the nation’s largest distributor of foreign aid.

“This is an attempt to take over USAID and then use that as the example to take over the [Environmental Protection Agency], and Medicaid and Medicare,” Sen. Markey said at that event.

The senator also called on “people by the millions” to organize national and global protests against Trump and Musk’s overhaul of the government.

“When we come back here the next time, there should be hundreds of thousands, and millions of people descending on Washington, D.C.,” he said.

Reuters contributed to this report.