Critics took aim Tuesday at a federal appeals court after a judge dismissed the IRS’ argument in an ICE data-sharing case as “weak sauce,” drawing immediate backlash over the unusual language in the ruling.
“That argument is ‘weak sauce’ where the district court has permitted the IRS to file any necessary notifications ‘under seal,’ thereby shielding any criminal investigative activity from disclosure,” wrote D.C. Circuit Judge Cornelia Pillard, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2013.
“Weak sauce” is slang for something that falls flat and lacks substance.
The lawsuit centers on whether the IRS violated federal tax-confidentiality law by sharing tens of thousands of taxpayer addresses with ICE after receiving requests for information on more than 1 million suspected illegal immigrants. The case was heard by a three-judge D.C. Circuit panel composed entirely of Obama appointees: Pillard, Patricia Millett and Robert Wilkins.
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Critics were quick to slam Pillard’s “weak sauce” comment, calling it an “embarrassment” while others slammed the ruling.
“DHS strongly disagrees with this ruling. We will continue using every lawful tool available to locate and remove illegal aliens with final orders of removal, and this ruling in no way prevents us from doing so,” DHS told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.
“It’s an embarrassment to the Court that 2 judges would not have told the author to change a different phrase with the same meaning. Now that is going to be quoted/cited in future cases and it will look sophomoric and unserious,” said conservative attorney William Shipley on X.
“Three anti-Trump Obama judges abuse power to impair basic immigration law enforcement. We have a judicial integrity crisis in the federal courts,” wrote Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton.
“Why would anyone put that language in a professional document of any kind? That goes beyond legal decorum. It’s just unprofessional across the board,” said one user on X.
“I’m all for using accessible language, but the insertion of popular slang in judicial opinions is getting out of hand,” another posted to X.
“Make legal writing formal again,” wrote D.C. attorney Joshua Prince.
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“Did Ketanji write that or some TikTok fan girl? Borderline illiteracy,” said one user.
The plaintiffs—including the Center for Taxpayer Rights, Main Street Alliance and two labor unions—argued the IRS failed to ensure ICE’s requests met strict legal requirements.
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The judges upheld a lower-court order blocking the IRS from using its current process to provide taxpayer information to ICE, finding that the procedure failed to comply with federal tax-confidentiality law. The judges found that ICE often submitted “either incomplete or insufficiently populated” information, yet the IRS still provided tens of thousands of taxpayer addresses.
The ruling comes as President Donald Trump has made immigration enforcement a central priority, directing the administration to expand border security, detention and deportations while ICE ramps up arrests nationwide.
Fox News Digital reached out to the circuit court, DHS and IRS for comment.
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