A federal judge on Monday declined to block the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from sharing the data of taxpayers facing criminal investigation with immigration authorities, rejecting arguments from advocacy groups that the move would violate federal privacy protections and chill tax compliance by illegal immigrants.
In a 16-page opinion issued on May 12, U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich in Washington denied a motion for a preliminary injunction filed by two organizations seeking to halt the implementation of a data-sharing agreement between the IRS and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The agreement—called a memorandum of understanding—lets the IRS release certain taxpayer information, including names and addresses, to DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when requested for criminal immigration investigations.
