DOJ settlement – The Justice Department is reportedly weighing whether to use taxpayer money to resolve President Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS, as immigration judges issue more than 80,000 voluntary departure orders since his January 2025 return to office
When the Justice Department revisits Donald Trump’s blockbuster IRS lawsuit, the question is no longer just who leaked what, but who pays to make the dispute go away.
Trump is suing the Internal Revenue Service for $10 billion. arguing that the agency failed to prevent a former contractor from leaking his tax returns between 2018 and 2020 during his first term.. Now, according to reporting, the Department of Justice is discussing whether any settlement could be funded with taxpayer dollars.
The New York Times reports the DOJ has explored settlement paths. while ABC News is also reporting that an agreement may be in the works.. Among the options being considered are a taxpayer-funded financial settlement or an arrangement that would end current and future IRS audits involving Trump. his family. and related business entities.
The stakes are political as much as legal.. A deal could resolve the dispute without a full court fight over whether the IRS bears liability for the leaked returns.. It could also reshape how aggressively the IRS pursues audits tied to Trump and his enterprises—an issue closely watched by both allies and critics of the president.
Even as this lawsuit plays out in federal court, the administration’s immigration enforcement posture is showing up in another set of numbers: voluntary departure orders issued by immigration judges.
New figures show immigration judges have issued more than 80,000 voluntary departure orders since Trump began his second term in January 2025.. A Vera Institute of Justice analysis found that between January 2025 and March 2026. the number of voluntary departures jumped more than 600% compared to the final 15 months of the Biden administration. when roughly 11. 400 orders were issued.
Involuntary departure requires formal deportation proceedings; voluntary departure allows migrants to leave the country on their own. For migrants and advocates, the surge in voluntary orders can mean different timelines and legal leverage than a pathway built around deportation cases.
Taken together, the two developments point to a broader shift in how major government disputes are being handled—from potential courtroom settlements in Trump’s IRS case to the way immigration judges are directing migrants toward leaving the U.S. without formal deportation proceedings.
For now, the DOJ’s settlement discussions remain fluid. And for immigration judges, the order counts reflect a sustained pace since January 2025, far above the level seen at the end of the Biden administration.
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