The newly elected governor of New Jersey is threatening to refuse to send federal taxes to the Trump administration. In an interview with comedian Jon Stewart, former Rep. Mikie Sherill mentioned that she had frequently contemplated withholding tax dollars and ultimately decided it is a \u201cfantastic idea.\u201d \u201cIf they\u2019re not gonna run the programs, then what are we paying them for?\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s like, you know, you\u2019re paying us for a service and they\u2019re not delivering. So let\u2019s stop paying for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
California\u2019s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom has also suggested the possibility of withholding tax funds, but ultimately, it proved to be an idle threat. \u201cWe\u2019re assessing it, we have looked into it, and Finance is looking across the spectrum of options,\u201d he said in an interview with Politico in June. \u201cBut it\u2019s limited, because most of that distribution and transfer comes from individual taxpayers,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n
A federal judge, meanwhile, ruled Friday that the IRS likely broke the law when it agreed to share confidential taxpayer information with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and she ordered the practice to halt immediately. Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, a Clinton appointee serving on the federal district court in Washington, D.C., said the agreement amounted to \u201cunlawful conduct\u201d that violated both procedural rules and federal tax law, The Washington Times reported. \u201cPlaintiffs have shown that the IRS\u2019s implementation of the Address-Sharing Policy was arbitrary and capricious because the IRS failed to recognize that it was departing from its prior policy of strict confidentiality, failed to consider the reliance interests that were engendered by its prior policy of strict confidentiality, and failed to provide a reasoned explanation for the new policy,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n
ICE sought access to IRS data to help locate illegal immigrants who were targets of enforcement operations. Documents revealed in the case show the agency initially requested information on more than 7 million IRS taxpayers. That request was later narrowed to 1.28 million \u201cimmigrant taxpayers,\u201d the judge said. At least 47,000 records were ultimately provided.<\/p>\n
The IRS denied ICE\u2019s original request but agreed to cooperate after the agency reduced its scope to the 1.28 million people and claimed they were all under investigation for the criminal offense of remaining in the U.S. more than 90 days after being ordered deported. Federal law allows the IRS to share certain information for criminal investigations under limited exceptions. Kollar-Kotelly said ICE\u2019s claim was questionable, noting that the agency represented that one individual was \u201cpersonally and directly engaged\u201d in all 1.28 million investigations. She said the IRS never offered a \u201creasoned explanation\u201d for approving the new policy, which she ruled violated the Administrative Procedure Act.<\/p>\n
The lawsuit was filed by the Center for Taxpayer Rights, which argued that some of its members\u2019 confidential information may have been given to ICE. The judge agreed the center likely suffered harm and noted a decline in individuals seeking free tax assistance, giving the organization standing to sue. It is the most recent in a long line of terrible decisions from activist judges. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings, a Biden appointee, ruled Wednesday in favor of attorneys from the National Immigrant Justice Center and the American Civil Liberties Union, who argued that more than 3,000 people had been arrested between June and October during \u201cOperation Midway Blitz.\u201d Under the order, 615 detainees must be granted bond by noon on November 21. The ruling applies to individuals not subject to mandatory detention and who are not considered significant security threats, the report said.<\/p>\n
\nAs the Epstein file debacle lays bare the performative nature of congressional politics, New Jersey Governor-elect @MikieSherrill<\/a> emphasizes the importance of getting results for people. #TheWeeklyShow<\/a> #Politics<\/a> #JonStewart<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/VT2U0pKI89<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart (@weeklyshowpod) November 21, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n