D.C. Circuit Judge calls IRS-ICE argument ‘weak sauce,’ sparking criticism over courtroom slang
A D.C. Circuit judge labeled the IRS’s justification for sharing data with ICE as “weak sauce,” prompting backlash over the informal phrasing, and the court upheld a block on the agency’s current data-sharing process.
In a decision by the D.C. Circuit, judges Cornelia Pillard, Patricia Millett and Robert Wilkins—all Obama appointees—described the IRS’s rationale for handing over taxpayer addresses to ICE as “weak sauce,” indicating a flimsy argument. The panel upheld a lower-court injunction that bars the IRS from continuing its current data-sharing method, citing violations of federal tax-confidentiality statutes. Plaintiffs, including the Center for Taxpayer Rights, Main Street Alliance and two labor unions, claimed the agency ignored incomplete or insufficient ICE requests.
The ruling sparked immediate criticism on X, with commentators calling the slang unprofessional and detrimental to judicial decorum. Conservative attorney William Shipley and Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton accused the judges of partisan bias against the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement agenda. The decision arrives as President Trump emphasizes stricter immigration enforcement nationwide.
Why it matters
The case highlights how informal language in judicial opinions can affect perceptions of court legitimacy and immigration policy enforcement.
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