Matthew

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 JACOB MATTHEW, Case No.: 3:25-cv-01664-JES-JLB

12 Plaintiff,

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND

13 v. DENYING IN PART PLAINTIFF’S

MOTION TO SEAL THE RECORD

14 UNITED STATES, UNITED STATES

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SAN

15 DIEGO PASSPORT AGENCY, and 16 MARCO RUBIO, in his official capacity as Secretary of State, 17 Defendants. 18 19

20 Plaintiff brings the instant action against Defendants, seeking to compel Defendants 21 to issue a U.S. passport without the requirement of providing a social security number 22 (“SSN”). On June 30, 2025, Plaintiff filed a motion to seal the record. For the reasons stated 23 herein, the Court GRANTS in part and DENIES in part Plaintiff’s motion. 24

I. LEGAL STANDARD

25 “[T]he courts of this country recognize a general right to inspect and copy public 26 records and documents, including judicial records and documents.” Nixon v. Warner 27 Commc'ns, Inc., 435 U.S. 589, 597 (1978). “Unless a particular court record is …