US Justice Dept. Lets DOGE Access Sensitive Immigration Case Data

By Staff, Agencies

Officials from the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have been granted entry to a highly restricted Justice Department database containing detailed information on millions of immigrants, both documented and undocumented, according to materials reviewed by The Washington Post.

The database, known as the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s Courts and Appeals System (ECAS), holds electronic records for individuals involved in the US immigration process.

These records include names, home addresses, past court testimony, and any known encounters with law enforcement, among other data.

According to the Justice Department’s website, “ECAS supports the full life cycle of an immigration case” by maintaining “all records and case-related documents in electronic format.”

A small group of approximately six DOGE “advisors” embedded at the Justice Department received approval from high-ranking officials last Friday to access ECAS, The Washington Post found.

The Justice Department declined to comment on Monday, and WaPo was unable to verify the reasons behind the access request or whether it was ultimately approved.

Internal communications instructed department staff to set up ECAS profiles for DOGE team members like Adam Hoffman, formerly of a hedge fund, and Payton Rehling and Jon Koval, linked to Elon Musk's private-equity firm.

Another team member, Marko Elez, had left the government earlier this year after being connected to a social media account that posted racist content, as reported by the Associated Press.

The 25-year old engineer reportedly holds administrator-level privileges on systems that manage nearly all government payments, a responsibility that covers more than a fifth of the US economy.

Elon Musk called for his rehiring shortly after he left, with the backing of Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

DOGE has regularly sought access to personal data that individuals submitted for specific and legitimate reasons, such as filing taxes or applying for housing.

This strategy has triggered concerns among privacy advocates, legal professionals, and government workers, who point out that the information DOGE is analyzing is generally restricted to specially trained personnel.