Overview
- Homeland Security has asked Health and Human Services for both the National Directory of New Hires and the Federal Case Registry, a move sources describe as without precedent.
- The files contain names, addresses, Social Security numbers, employers and wages for most U.S. workers and list children in child-support cases, including domestic-violence indicators and family relationships.
- HHS’s general counsel is weighing the request, child-support staff oppose it, and approval could require Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with lawsuits expected if access is granted.
- Former HHS officials and state program leaders say the plan would violate federal limits and could discourage employers from reporting new hires, undermining child-support collections for families.
- DHS has argued other statutes allow warrantless interagency identity and location queries, but recent court fights over data sharing—including a judge blocking IRS information transfers and curtailed DOGE access—suggest intense legal scrutiny ahead.