Federal Judge Blocks IRS from Sharing Taxpayer Addresses with ICE

A federal judge has halted an IRS program that allowed immigration authorities to access taxpayer address information for potential deportation cases. The ruling blocks the IRS from giving Immigration and Customs Enforcement the home addresses of taxpayers who may be undocumented immigrants.

According to the court, the data-sharing agreement violated federal laws requiring the IRS to safeguard sensitive taxpayer information, regardless of a person’s immigration status. The judge said the program did not meet the strict legal standards required for releasing confidential records and concluded that it was unlawful for several reasons.

The ruling also rejected numerous Justice Department arguments that attempted to justify the policy. The judge found those explanations insufficient, saying they failed to meet the burden required to override long-standing privacy protections.

It is not yet known whether the Trump administration plans to appeal the decision.

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