In a radical shift in immigration enforcement policy, the IRS is now working with ICE, raising eyebrows over privacy concerns.
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The IRS will now hand over immigrant tax data to ICE, sparking debates on government accountability.
While designed to enhance deportation efficiency, it leaves many questioning trust in once-guarded systems.
The IRS’s agreement with ICE allows sharing of illegal immigrants’ tax records to aid deportations.
This memorandum outlines the specific processes ICE must follow, such as detailing the taxpayer’s name and address for judicial purposes.
This move is part of a push from previous administrations to tighten immigration control.
Secretary Scott Bessent from Treasury and Homeland Security’s Kristi Noem signed this agreement.
It’s reliant on a presidential executive order aiming to combat illegal immigration.
Despite assurances of legality, the decision has already met with courtroom challenges, as immigrants’ rights groups argue it violates IRS privacy laws.
“The Internal Revenue Service and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement have entered into a memorandum of understanding to establish a clear and secure process to support law enforcement’s efforts to combat illegal immigration,” stated a Treasury Department spokesperson, cited by The Guardian.
Public Citizen co-president Lisa Gilbert lashed out at this as an unparalleled breach of taxpayer privacy.
Despite legal compliance claims, Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code mandates confidentiality, sparking fears among undocumented immigrants about tax filing repercussions.
This could result in fewer tax filings, impacting overall tax collections.
Undocumented immigrants contributed around $90 billion in taxes in 2023, highlighting their significance.
Yet, the looming IRS action might now deter them from utilizing their ITIN for tax filings.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement intends to streamline deportation of immigrants with final removal orders, leveraging taxpayer records.
“It is a complete betrayal of 30 years of the government telling immigrants to file their taxes,” commented one former IRS official.
The American Immigration Council reported that in 2023, illegal immigrants made up around 5% of the U.S. workforce.
Critics raise concerns about jeopardizing these individuals’ livelihoods through abrupt policy shifts.
With no formal tax information requests from DHS as of April 7, how this policy unfolds remains uncertain.
The IRS has agreed to share immigrants’ tax information with ICE to facilitate deportations. pic.twitter.com/Vn91M7RxEw
— Pop Base (@PopBase) April 8, 2025
