Judge Lets IRS Share Immigrant Tax Data With ICE

A federal judge on Monday declined to stop the Internal Revenue Service from sharing immigrants' tax data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a move that allows the Trump administration to continue using the data to identify and deport undocumented immigrants, the AP reports. The ruling came from US District Judge Dabney Friedrich, who denied a request for a preliminary injunction filed by nonprofit groups. These groups had argued that undocumented immigrants who pay taxes should have the same privacy protections as citizens and legal immigrants.

Friedrich, a Trump appointee, had previously rejected an emergency request to halt the data sharing. The decision follows recent news that former acting IRS commissioner Melanie Krause resigned last month, a departure that was linked to an agreement allowing ICE to give the IRS names and addresses of individuals suspected of being in the country illegally, with the IRS cross-checking that information against tax records. At the heart of the lawsuit is the claim that the federal government's actions violate privacy rights and could dissuade undocumented immigrants from paying taxes, Newsweek reports. With the denial of the injunction, the IRS can continue its cooperation with ICE as the lawsuit filed by the nonprofit organizations proceeds.