DOGE Granted Access to DOJ Immigration Data on Millions

Several representatives from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an agency under the Trump administration, have been granted access to the Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review’s Courts and Appeals System (ECAS), a confidential database containing records on millions of legal and undocumented immigrants. The ECAS system holds detailed information such as names, addresses, immigration court testimony, and histories of interactions with law enforcement. Concerns have been raised by legal experts, privacy advocates, and federal employees about the breadth of personal data now available to DOGE, as this information is typically restricted to a small group of authorized personnel. Reports indicate that DOGE may be using this access to build a 'cross-agency master database' for heightened surveillance and enforcement activities targeting immigrants, with further requests for additional sensitive data from other federal agencies. The DOGE team includes individuals with private equity ties to Elon Musk, and controversy has surrounded personnel decisions within the group, notably the rehiring of an advisor linked to racist social media posts. The scope and intent behind DOGE’s data access remain unclear, but the move is seen as potentially expanding efforts for mass deportation and aggressive immigration enforcement.