DOGE could be headed for a 'new, more dangerous phase' as Musk steps away: analyst

A decision by billionaire Elon Musk to restrict his involvement in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that he created so that he can tend to his ailing Tesla automobile company does not mean that the damage being done by the DOGE staffers will be coming to an end.

According to Guardian journalist David Smith, their work is not done and, with Musk out of the picture as the face of DOGE, things could get a lot worse.

Conceding there is a feeling among some that the "lull" that will follow Musk's department is reason for relief, Smith wrote instead it "presages a new, more dangerous phase."

Case in point, he notes a CNN report from CNN stating, "Doge is building a master database to accelerate deportations of undocumented immigrants by combining sensitive data from across the federal government."

That led Judd Legum, of the DOGE-tracking Popular Information, to predict, "As they realize there’s nothing left to cut that they want to cut or can cut, they’ll probably turn to more of those more policy-oriented initiatives.”

According to the Guardian's Smith, "CNN reported that Doge is developing a comprehensive database to enhance immigration enforcement. The initiative aims to consolidate sensitive information from various federal agencies, including the IRS and Social Security Administration. Its goal is to create 'targeting lists' for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to expedite the identification and deportation of undocumented immigrants," adding, "Palantir, a data analytics company, is assisting in building this system, CNN said. Concerns have been raised by congressional Democrats and privacy advocates regarding the legality and potential for misuse of centralised data. A former senior IRS employee with knowledge of the plans was quoted by CNN as saying: 'If they are designing a deportation machine, they will be able to do that.'"

Democratic strategist Chris Morris warned the public should not let its guard down.

“Unfortunately, with anything with this administration and what it started, even when it dies out for a little bit, I don’t take it as they have quit. They retool and they reassess their approach. They feel like this is something that’s very effective. They’re reassessing how to go about it in their next phase," he cautioned.

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