Using the Department of Government Efficiency to gather the data on undocumented immigrants introduces important ethical issues, especially regarding privacy, consent and civil rights.
Originally created to help manage government data more efficiently, DOGE is now being used for surveillance.
Undocumented immigrants, who already live in unsafe situations, now have to worry about a surveillance system taking away their privacy.
That being said, the open usage of DOGE to target undocumented immigrants is unethical and shouldn’t be allowed. These databases must serve the purpose of assisting the government to make the public’s life easier, not harder.
Using this technology without clear legal protections for the people it affects threatens their basic human rights and creates a hostile environment for immigrant communities.
The problem is worse when information gathered from other sources, like health records, school registrations or social service applications, is used against people in immigration cases.
This situation is made worse by government officials who used DOGE to speed up deportations and immigration actions.
Instead of using the data collected to help the system manage the data in services like the Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, government officials are using the data to track down undocumented immigrants and force them to leave the country without proper legal help.
The misuse of technology in government creates distrust in public institutions. When systems meant to support good governance are used against vulnerable groups, it raises serious ethical questions.
This incorrect usage demonstrates that the government’s priorities focus more on quick solutions and exclusion rather than justice or the well-being of the public, undermining the basic feeling of safety among the immigration community.
Major databases, including the IRS, are facing a big problem because many high-ranking officials have either quit or left their jobs to show their disapproval of how DOGE is being used.
Victoria Noble, a staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, states that when such a large amount of information can be accessed by the majority, some of them will weaponize it and use it to hurt and repress vulnerable groups.
These employees, who helped create rules for keeping data accurate, are concerned about the decline of ethics in government work. Their resignations signal problems within the government and emphasize the seriousness of the moral issues.
If top employees at one of the country’s main financial agencies refuse to be connected to DOGE’s actions, then there’s a huge problem. They strongly disagree with the government for stretching the law to enforce immigration policies.
In the end, using DOGE to gather and misuse information about undocumented immigrants erodes trust in government technology and creates a harmful example of how data can be used against vulnerable minorities.
Instead of providing openness, responsibility and respect for everyone’s rights, the administration makes it appear that values are being ignored in this situation.
The departure of top officials from the IRS, SSA, HHS and every other major database should be a warning to lawmakers and the public that tools made for providing easy access to personal information are being used to repress the public.
Until there are clear laws and independent checks on how data is used in immigration enforcement, using DOGE to target and surveil specific groups of individuals should be seen as not only morally wrong but also illegal.
