In brief
A court filing reveals that the IRS mistakenly disclosed taxpayer data to the Department of Homeland Security as part of a controversial information-sharing agreement aimed at identifying undocumented immigrants. An IRS executive confirmed that only a fraction of the names requested were verified, and personal data given may breach privacy laws. Advocacy groups express concern regarding the misuse of such information, leading to legal challenges against the agreement.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS erroneously shared the taxpayer information of thousands of people with the Department of Homeland Security, illuminating serious concerns regarding privacy violations connected to a government data-sharing agreement. This was disclosed in recent court filings.
This revelation is tied to a data-sharing agreement signed last April by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. This controversial agreement was designed to facilitate information on undocumented immigrants for immigration enforcement purposes.
According to a declaration by IRS Chief Risk and Control Officer Dottie Romo, of the 1.28 million names requested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), only about 47,000 could be verified by the IRS. For less than 5% of these individuals, the IRS provided ICE with additional address information, potentially violating taxpayer privacy protections.
In January, the Treasury Department reached out to DHS to notify them of the error and to request that measures be taken to address the issue in accordance with federal laws, including the appropriate disposal of any erroneously shared data.
The agreement has prompted litigation from advocacy groups against key government officials, highlighting the risks of leaking sensitive information. A Massachusetts federal court curbed the IRS’s ability to share residential addresses with ICE, citing illegal dissemination of taxpayer data from the prior summer.
Public Citizen, on behalf of several immigrant rights groups, filed a lawsuit challenging the data-sharing practices, emphasizing the dangers posed by the release of private taxpayer information. Advocates argue that such disclosures could be weaponized, threatening the safety and privacy of innocent individuals.
Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, expressed concerns that this breach exacerbates risks to vulnerable populations, as federal agents could misuse taxpayer data to target individuals, thus endangering lives.
Tom Bowman from the Center for Democracy & Technology reiterated the gravity of the situation, stating that improper sharing of taxpayer data is illegal and carries severe criminal penalties. He emphasized how incidents like these underscore the critical need for stringent safeguards to protect taxpayers' confidential information.
