The Internal Revenue Service is nearing an agreement allowing immigration officials to use tax data to confirm the identities and addresses of suspected undocumented immigrants, according to four sources familiar with the matter.
This move is part of the Trump administration’s push for mass deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would be able to cross-reference taxpayer databases, which are usually protected by privacy laws. The proposed agreement could mark a shift in how federal agencies handle tax information and immigration enforcement. ICE would only be allowed to request data on people already ordered to leave the country, with limitations on what could be accessed.
Career IRS officials are concerned that using tax data in this way could set a dangerous precedent, arguing that privacy law exceptions are meant to assist in criminal investigations, not immigration enforcement.
A former IRS official remarked, “It is a complete betrayal of 30 years of the government telling immigrants to file their taxes.”
The new arrangement would require approval from top officials like Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem or Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons.
Undocumented immigrants, many of whom file taxes using Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs), have long been assured that their tax information would not be shared with immigration authorities. This agreement, if approved, would represent a significant departure from previous policies, especially after the IRS rejected similar requests from DHS just a few weeks ago. However, leadership changes at the IRS and renewed discussions suggest that this shift could soon become a reality.
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