A federal judge in Washington gave President Trump a victory for now when she declined on Tuesday to bar Elon Musk and his associates from ordering mass firings or having access to data at seven federal agencies.

The judge, Tanya S. Chutkan of the Federal District Court, wrote that a coalition of 14 state attorneys general could not provide specific examples of how Mr. Musk’s team’s efforts would cause imminent or irreparable harm to the states or their residents.

“The court is aware that DOGE’s unpredictable actions have resulted in considerable uncertainty and confusion for plaintiffs and many of their agencies and residents,” Judge Chutkan wrote, referring to the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, which is tasked with carrying out Mr. Musk’s vision. But the mere possibility that “defendants may take actions that irreparably harm plaintiffs” was not enough to grant emergency relief, she said.

Judge Chutkan nonetheless appeared to suggest that the lawsuit had a strong chance of succeeding with the benefit of additional evidence, which could be introduced later as litigation continues.

“Plaintiffs legitimately call into question what appears to be the unchecked authority of an unelected individual and an entity that was not created by Congress and over which it has no oversight,” she wrote.

The ruling by Judge Chutkan reflected the atmosphere of confusion surrounding the purpose and goals of Mr. Musk’s team, which judges in a number of court cases have repeatedly and unsuccessfully asked government lawyers to clarify.

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