A federal appeals court is set to hold a hearing today in a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The lawsuit seeks to block the Internal Revenue Service from sharing taxpayer information with ICE and DHS.
Undocumented workers are legally required to pay federal taxes on their income. To file tax returns, the IRS issues Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers and collects personal information, including addresses.
The plaintiff in the case argues the information is being used to track down undocumented immigrants as part of the government’s mass deportation efforts, rather than for criminal prosecutions.
In May, a U.S. District Court judge ruled the data-sharing practice was lawful.
The appeals court will now weigh in on the case.
