IRS sidelines dozens of top IT officials seen as possible ‘blockers’ to immigration enforcement data-sharing

As many as 50 senior IT professionals at the Internal Revenue Service, including some of the agency’s top cybersecurity experts, were placed on administrative leave Friday as the Trump administration finalizes controversial plans to share taxpayer data with federal immigration authorities, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

As many as 50 senior IT professionals at the Internal Revenue Service, including some of the agency’s top cybersecurity experts, were placed on administrative leave Friday as the Trump administration finalizes controversial plans to share taxpayer data with federal immigration authorities, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The dozens of IRS employees who were placed on leave Friday evening saw their access to the agency’s computer systems immediately cut off, according to the sources. Some of the dozens of employees tried to go into the office Monday morning but were rebuffed, one source said. The sidelining of IT officials comes as access to IRS data systems has been a point of contention between career federal employees and the Department of Government Efficiency, though it’s unclear if the employees were put on leave as part of downsizing or in connection with the data sharing disputes. CNN reported last week that the IRS is close to reaching an unprecedented agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to share location information of suspected undocumented immigrants as the administration works to ramp up deportations. That has sparked a legal battle over the information that’s typically confidential. The so-called “separation email” sent Friday, which was obtained by CNN, didn’t include an explanation. The email stated their leave status was “effective immediately” and that “access to agency IT systems will be suspended, and you should not attempt to use them.” A Treasury Department spokesperson confirmed the employees were placed on leave but denied it had anything to do with accessing IRS data for immigration enforcement: “As part of the Treasury Department and IRS leadership’s evaluation of the best way to improve the performance of the IRS and simultaneously reduce costs to taxpayers, 50 primarily non-technical personnel who were in technical decision-making roles were placed on temporary paid administrative leave.”