The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), created under the Trump administration, has been granted access to sensitive immigration data systems maintained by the Executive Office for Immigration Review. This system includes decades of records on legal and undocumented immigrants, such as personal details, court histories, and asylum interviews.
DOGE has also reportedly gained access to data from multiple agencies, including the IRS, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Labor Department. These efforts allegedly led to the resignation of the IRS acting chief after a data-sharing agreement with Homeland Security was reached. The Social Security Administration was also reported to have labeled some immigrants as deceased to cut off their access to benefits.
According to reports, DOGE and the Department of Homeland Security are building a comprehensive surveillance database combining information from various government sources. A federal judge recently restricted access to Social Security data by DOGE staff citing privacy concerns.
Reference:
Marcus, Josh. “DOGE gets permission to access sensitive Justice Department immigration data” The Independent. April 22, 2025.
