Judge Blocks DHS From Using Taxpayer Data for Immigration Enforcement

A federal judge on Feb. 5 temporarily blocked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from using taxpayer information supplied by the IRS for immigration enforcement purposes. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani of Massachusetts barred DHS and one of its agencies, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), from following interagency agreements in which the IRS shares taxpayer information such as addresses with DHS and ICE. The lawsuit, known as Community Economic Development Center of Southeastern Massachusetts v. Bessent, was brought by four community organizations in the Bay State. The preliminary injunction will remain in effect as the litigation plays out in court. In her written opinion, the judge found that the community groups have shown there is a “high likelihood that ICE’s handling, use, and storage of taxpayer addresses violated and continues to violate Section 6103 [of the Internal Revenue Code], and therefore, the [Administrative Procedure Act].”...