Demand Congress investigate the sharing of tax data with DHS now!

Major news outlets are reporting a serious breach of taxpayer privacy that demands immediate congressional oversight. The Washington Post revealed that the IRS improperly disclosed confidential taxpayer information to the Department of Homeland Security under a data-sharing agreement tied to immigration enforcement. The agency confirmed this in federal court filings this week.

According to AP News, the IRS matched names from a DHS and ICE request of 1.28 million individuals and supplied data for roughly 47,000 taxpayers — including address details for many of them — potentially violating strict federal tax privacy laws designed to protect all taxpayers. 

This isn’t a narrow issue affecting only immigrants. Once IRS data is opened to enforcement use, inevitable errors risk dragging innocent taxpayers — including citizens and lawful residents — into wrongful scrutiny. Longstanding legal firewalls exist to protect taxpayer information for a reason: Americans are required to share deeply personal financial details with the government, and that information must not be misused.

Congress must act now. Lawmakers should launch a full bipartisan investigation into how and why this disclosure occurred, hold public hearings with IRS and DHS leadership under oath, ensure affected individuals are notified, and strengthen privacy protections so taxpayer data cannot be repurposed without clear legal authority.

Add your name to demand Congress investigate and protect taxpayer privacy.

Thanks,
Mary