Caribbean immigration advocates on Friday welcomed a ruling by a United States District Judge in Massachusetts ordering the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Social Security Administration from sharing taxpayer data with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), protecting Caribbean immigrant families.
This is the second federal judge to temporarily block the information-sharing deal between the IRS and ICE.
US District Judge Indira Talwani ruled on Thursday that sharing of taxpayer data with DHS and ICE could violate parts of the Tax Act of 1976 that encompass privacy protections for taxpayers.
Murad Awawdeh – president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), an umbrella policy and advocacy organization that represents over 200 immigrant and refugee rights groups throughout New York – told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that the IRS is mandated to guard tax information within its agencies, and that, over the years, it has consistently assured undocumented Caribbean and other taxpayers that their information is confidential and that it is safe for them to file tax returns.
Awawdeh said undocumented New Yorkers contribute US$6.7 billion in local, state, and federal taxes each year, while immigrants with status contribute US$74.8 billion.
‘We applaud the federal court in Massachusetts for protecting immigrant taxpayers and sending a clear message that government agencies cannot exploit sensitive information to target immigrant communities,’ he said. ‘This is not only a victory for taxpayers, but also a rebuke of the administration’s lawless and cruel intentions.
‘The ruling reaffirms the IRS’s fundamental responsibility to protect taxpayer confidentiality,’ Awawdeh added. ‘With tax season here, this ruling ensures that immigrant families can meet their civic obligations without fear of retaliation or surveillance.
‘We call on all federal agencies to uphold these protections, and we hope this temporary block is made permanent so that immigrant families can have lasting security.’
In her ruling, Talwani ruled that, ‘Defendants DHS, Secretary Noem, ICE, Acting Director Lyons, and their agents, are enjoined from inspecting, viewing, using, copying, distributing, relying on, or otherwise acting upon any return information that had been obtained from or disclosed by the IRS Defendants pursuant to the information sharing arrangements, including the information received August 7, 2025.
Judge Talwani’s ruling follows a similar one by US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who ruled that sharing Caribbean and other immigrants’ data with the DHS and ICE violated taxpayer confidentiality law.