A panel of judges appointed by former President Barack Obama has blocked the IRS from sharing taxpayer addresses with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), ruling that the process did not comply with federal tax-confidentiality law. The decision has drawn criticism from some quarters, who have focused on the language used in the ruling.
The case centered on whether the IRS violated federal tax-confidentiality law by sharing tens of thousands of taxpayer addresses with ICE. The plaintiffs, which included organizations like the Center for Taxpayer Rights and Main Street Alliance, argued that the IRS failed to ensure ICE's requests met strict legal requirements. The judges agreed, finding that ICE often submitted "either incomplete or insufficiently populated" information, yet the IRS still provided the addresses.
In their ruling, the judges upheld a lower court's order blocking the IRS's process for providing taxpayer information to ICE. One of the judges, D.C. Circuit Judge Cornelia Pillard, described the IRS's argument as "weak sauce," a slang term meaning something that lacks substance. Pillard was appointed to the D.C. Circuit by President Obama in 2013. The three-judge panel also included Obama appointees Patricia Millett and Robert Wilkins.
Critics of the ruling quickly condemned Pillard's use of the phrase "weak sauce," calling it "unprofessional" and an "embarrassment." Conservative attorney William Shipley suggested that the language was "sophomoric and unserious" and could be cited in future cases. Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton stated that "three anti-Trump Obama judges abuse power to impair basic immigration law enforcement," adding that "We have a judicial integrity crisis in the federal courts."
Others echoed concerns about the judicial language. "Why would anyone put that language in a professional document of any kind? That goes beyond legal decorum. It’s just unprofessional across the board," commented one user on X. Another posted, "I’m all for using accessible language, but the insertion of popular slang in judicial opinions is getting out of hand."
The ruling comes as immigration enforcement has been a significant priority for the Trump administration. ICE reported making over 51,000 arrests in July, according to federal sources cited in the reporting. The administration has directed efforts to expand border security, detention, and deportations.
This ruling is separate from a federal court decision that blocked New York state regulations attempting to require federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to wear identification. That decision marked a legal victory for ICE, halting state-level efforts to mandate identification for federal officers.