A group of more than a dozen American states have announced their intent to pursue legal action to prevent Elon Musk’s cost-cutting squad from accessing confidential federal payment systems that hold personal information of U.S citizens.

The group, composed of 13 Democratic Attorney Generals, including those from California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, and New York, stated that the intended lawsuit is a measure “to protect our Constitution, our privacy rights, and the crucial funding that individuals and communities across the country are depending on.”

This announcement of legal action follows the recent controversial access granted to Musk’s young team of private-sector associates from his various enterprises to key U.S government departments and data sets, including systems containing personal details of millions of Americans who receive Social Security checks, tax returns, and other federal payments. The access to these systems, given their sensitive nature, was traditionally restricted to a handful of career staffers in each department.

Musk and his team, known as the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, have gained control over the U.S. Treasury, the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, amongst other crucial federal agencies. High-ranking Democrats have labeled Musk’s control as a national security threat, pointing to his significant business dealings in China.

Musk, the wealthiest individual globally, boasts a net worth exceeding $400 billion.

Although the U.S. does not provide nationwide data protection for its citizens, individual states have enacted laws mandating the protection of their residents’ data at the federal level.

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