A U.S. judge in Washington, D.C., said on Monday (Feb 17) that she expects to rule within 24 hours on a lawsuit challenging Elon Musk’s authority over government agencies. The case, brought by 13 Democratic state attorneys general, seeks to block Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team from accessing federal information systems and firing employees.

The lawsuit argues that Musk’s team, appointed by President Donald Trump to overhaul the government, is using internal data to dismantle programs and lay off thousands of workers across multiple agencies. The attorneys general claim this threatens their ability to run critical educational and public services.

During the Presidents Day hearing, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations but expressed skepticism about the legal grounds for an emergency block, stating that the states had not demonstrated imminent harm. However, she assured that if the states ultimately won the case, she could order the restoration of affected programs.

The DOGE team has reportedly cut thousands of jobs and eliminated federal programs since Trump took office last month, but government attorneys have yet to confirm the extent of these layoffs. Chutkan pressed a Justice Department lawyer for clarification, emphasizing that such mass firings are not routine.

The states also argue that Musk is exercising powers that should legally require Senate confirmation and that DOGE itself has not been authorized by Congress. Several lawsuits have been filed across federal courts regarding Musk’s authority, with mixed rulings so far. Last week, a New York judge temporarily blocked DOGE from accessing Treasury Department systems, while another judge in Washington declined a request to stop DOGE from reviewing records at other agencies.As legal battles over Musk’s role continue, Chutkan’s ruling in the coming hours could set a significant precedent for the government's restructuring under Trump.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters file