The Trump administration is quietly working on a plan that could help immigration authorities track down illegal immigrants hiding in America. The IRS and ICE are finalizing an agreement that could give immigration officials unprecedented access to taxpayer information for deportations. ICE could soon know where most illegal aliens in the United States live!
At a glance:
• The IRS is close to finalizing a data-sharing agreement with ICE to support deportation efforts
• The agreement would allow ICE to verify addresses of suspected illegal immigrants using tax records
• Immigrants without legal status can file taxes using Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs)
• The IRS typically only shares taxpayer information with law enforcement after a court order
• Trump administration officials have prioritized identifying and locating illegal aliens for deportation
New Partnership Could Strengthen Border Enforcement
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials may soon have a powerful new tool in their efforts to locate and deport illegal immigrants. The Internal Revenue Service is reportedly nearing completion of a data-sharing agreement that would allow immigration authorities to verify residential addresses and other key information.
Under the proposed agreement, ICE would submit names and addresses of suspected undocumented immigrants to the IRS, which would then check the information against its own databases. This verification process could significantly enhance ICE’s ability to locate individuals who have entered or remained in the country illegally.
The agreement would not give Homeland Security direct access to IRS systems, maintaining some privacy protections. Instead, IRS agents would handle the information requests and provide only the verification details needed for enforcement actions.
Many illegal immigrants already have a relationship with the IRS through the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) program. This system allows people without Social Security numbers to file tax returns, creating records that could now potentially assist with immigration enforcement.
Privacy Concerns Remain Significant Hurdle
The proposed data-sharing agreement has raised serious concerns among some IRS officials due to longstanding privacy protections for taxpayer information. Section 6103 of the federal tax code mandates confidentiality of taxpayer information, with only limited exceptions for certain law enforcement purposes.
Traditionally, the IRS has only shared taxpayer information with law enforcement agencies after receiving a court order. This new agreement would potentially create a streamlined process for ICE to access vital information for immigration enforcement without the same level of judicial oversight.
Reports indicate that previous attempts by the Trump administration to access IRS data for deportation purposes faced resistance from the tax agency. The current administration has made personnel changes, including replacing the top lawyer at the IRS, which may have helped facilitate the current negotiations.
Neither the IRS nor the Department of Homeland Security has officially commented on the agreement, which remains under negotiation. The final details of the information-sharing protocol continue to be worked out as officials attempt to balance enforcement needs with privacy requirements.
The final agreement between the IRS and ICE could provide a significant boost to deportation efforts if privacy hurdles can be overcome. For now, both agencies remain tight-lipped about the specific timeline for implementation or the exact mechanisms for information sharing.
