Federal judge rules IRS illegally shared taxpayer data over 42,000 times with ICE
A U.S. District Judge found that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) unlawfully shared confidential taxpayer addresses with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 42,695 times, violating IRS Code §6103, one of the strictest federal privacy laws.
The IRS did not ensure ICE’s requests met legal requirements, leading to improper disclosures—even when ICE’s requests were “patently deficient.”
The controversy stems from a memorandum of understanding between the IRS and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), allowing ICE to request taxpayer data for immigration enforcement—but the IRS improperly verified and released addresses beyond legal limits.
Critics warn this breach endangers taxpayer trust and risks wrongful detentions of legal immigrants or citizens. Advocacy groups argue the IRS’ actions were “unsafe, unlawful and subject to criminal penalties.”
The Trump administration appealed an earlier injunction, but this ruling strengthens the case against IRS misconduct. Despite some court rulings allowing data-sharing, two separate orders still block ICE from using IRS-obtained data, highlighting tensions between national security and privacy rights.
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