Full Breakdown
ICE Secures $9.97 Million Contract for Immigrants’ Tax Identifiers Amid Ongoing Legal Restrictions
6/17/2026, 10:43:50 PM
ICE’s $9.97 Million ITIN Data Subscription
On June 5, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) awarded a $9,968,353.56 contract to Thundercut Technology LLC for “ITIN data subscription and analytics for HSI agents in fraud investigations.” The agreement covers Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) used by undocumented individuals to file taxes, but procurement records do not specify whether names, addresses, or only the numbers themselves are included.
Background: Prior Attempts to Access IRS Taxpayer Data
In April 2025 the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) entered an agreement to provide ICE with taxpayer identification numbers and last-known addresses for more than 1.2 million people. A federal judge temporarily blocked the data sharing in November, deeming the practice “unlawful.” A second judge issued a similar injunction in February, warning that the arrangement could “significantly raise the risk of misidentification of taxpayers.” A Taxpayer Inspector General report later confirmed the IRS had inappropriately shared information with ICE.
Timeline of Key Events
- April 2025: IRS-ICE data-sharing agreement signed.
- November 2025: Judge issues temporary injunction, calling the practice unlawful.
- February 2026: Second injunction issued, citing misidentification risks.
- June 5 2026: ICE signs $9.97 million contract with Thundercut Technology LLC.
Data & Statistics
Official Statements & Responses
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) said the contract appears to circumvent a court order that barred ICE from obtaining ITIN data, describing it as an “end-around both taxpayer privacy laws and a court order.” The Department of Homeland Security acknowledged the inquiry but declined to comment further. Thundercut Technology LLC did not respond to requests for comment.
Criticism & Opposition
Wyden criticized the move as part of a broader “mass-deportation campaign,” arguing that the agency is exploiting a “data broker loophole” to sidestep legal safeguards. He noted that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s effort to close this loophole was halted during the previous administration and urged the next administration to finalize the closure. Privacy advocates have warned that purchasing data from private brokers raises the risk of inaccurate identification and infringes on taxpayer confidentiality.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- The procurement record does not clarify whether the subscription includes only ITIN numbers or also personal identifiers such as names and addresses.
- It remains unknown which underlying data-provider Thundercut Technology may be reselling, as the vendor declined to disclose this information.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It looks for all the world like Trump is trying to skirt the law and a court order to fuel his mass-deportation campaign,” — Senator Ron Wyden
- “A court has already struck down an agreement between the IRS and Homeland Security to illegally share ITINs and other personal information. A contract to buy that same information from private data brokers is a clear end-around both taxpayer privacy laws and a court order.” — Senator Ron Wyden
- “The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was on the verge of closing this loophole before Trump killed the agency and blocked that new rule from going into effect. The next administration should close that loophole for good,” — Senator Ron Wyden
- “unlawful,” — Federal judge (NBC News)
- “significantly raise the risk of misidentification of taxpayers,” — Federal judge (FedScoop)
What’s Next
Legal scholars anticipate further challenges to ICE’s data-broker purchases, while advocacy groups call for legislative action to permanently close the data-broker loophole. The upcoming administration’s policy priorities may determine whether additional court orders or regulatory reforms will restrict ICE’s access to taxpayer identifiers.
