In brief
In a significant breach of privacy, the IRS mistakenly shared taxpayer details with the Department of Homeland Security, including data on undocumented immigrants. This error is linked to a controversial data-sharing agreement designed to aid immigration enforcement. The IRS was only able to verify a fraction of the names requested by ICE, with concerns about the legality and safety of sharing such sensitive information growing among advocacy groups.
WASHINGTON (AP) — In an alarming breach of privacy, the IRS has erroneously shared taxpayer information of thousands with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This disclosure relates to a contentious agreement aimed at increasing the identification and deportation of individuals living illegally in the U.S., according to recent court filings.
The details emerged from a data-sharing accord established last April between Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Under the agreement, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is allowed to forward names and addresses of suspected undocumented immigrants to the IRS for cross-referencing against tax records.
IRS Chief Risk and Control Officer Dottie Romo disclosed that the agency was only able to verify about 47,000 of the 1.28 million names requested by ICE. Notably, for less than 5% of the individuals verified, the IRS provided additional address information—a move that may have violated privacy safeguards designed to protect sensitive taxpayer data.
In January, the Treasury Department informed DHS of the error, urging the agency to take immediate corrective actions in accordance with federal law, including the appropriate disposal of any IRS data provided to ICE that was based on incomplete address information.
The IRS-DHS agreement has drawn legal challenges from advocacy groups, sparking debates over privacy and enforcement practices. Public Citizen, representing several immigrant rights organizations, filed a lawsuit against the involved government officials soon after the signing.
Recent Federal Court rulings have further complicated matters, with a Massachusetts court ordering the IRS to cease the sharing of residential addresses with ICE, and blocking the IRS from disseminating information to DHS, citing illegitimate sharing of tax data concerning migrants.
Advocates have expressed grave concerns about the unwanted implications of unlawfully released taxpayer records, fearing they could be used to target individuals maliciously and infringe upon their privacy. According to Lisa Gilbert from Public Citizen, the breach highlights the urgency of their lawsuit, as such disclosures risk lives.
Tom Bowman, from the Center for Democracy & Technology, emphasized, The improper sharing of taxpayer data is unsafe, unlawful, and can incur severe penalties. He continued, When taxpayer data is accessible to immigration enforcement, the likelihood of mistakes increases, and the consequences disproportionately affect innocent individuals. This incident demonstrates why stringent legal barriers exist and why they must be upheld to protect sensitive information.
