In brief
In a critical privacy breach, the IRS disclosed taxpayer information of thousands to the Department of Homeland Security, violating privacy regulations intended to protect citizens. This incident followed a data-sharing agreement with ICE aimed at tracking undocumented immigrants. Advocacy groups have raised alarm over the potential misuse of these records.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS made a significant error by sharing taxpayer information of thousands with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), linked to a controversial agreement for tracking undocumented immigrants in the U.S., according to a recent court filing.
This information-sharing mishap follows a data-sharing agreement signed last April by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to submit names and addresses of individuals residing illegally in the U.S. to the IRS for verification against tax records.
IRS Chief Risk and Control Officer Dottie Romo revealed that the IRS was able to verify only about 47,000 of the 1.28 million names requested by ICE, and provided additional address information for under 5% of those individuals, potentially breaching taxpayer privacy protections.
Romo further stated that after identifying the error, the Treasury Department notified DHS in January to take corrective steps, which includes disposing of the data shared with ICE due to its incomplete nature.
This agreement has sparked legal action from various advocacy groups, including Public Citizen, which filed a lawsuit claiming the agreement's violation of privacy rights. A Massachusetts federal court has previously intervened, ordering the IRS to cease sharing residential addresses with ICE and blocking the agency from disseminating tax data to DHS after identifying illegal disclosures.
Advocates emphasize the danger of such breaches, with Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, highlighting that sharing private taxpayer information risks endangering lives, particularly of immigrants who may be targeted due to such disclosures. Tom Bowman, policy counsel for the Center for Democracy & Technology, elucidated that the improper sharing of taxpayer data is not only unlawful but can have severe repercussions for innocent individuals.
This recent disclosure underscores the need for strict legal protections surrounding taxpayer data and raises serious concerns over the potential misuse of such information for immigration enforcement purposes.
