IRS Nearing Deal to Help ICE Track Undocumented Migrants
A source familiar with the matter said the IRS is close to reaching an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to help Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) locate undocumented migrants in the U.S. This move aligns with President Donald Trump’s strict immigration policies.
Under the agreement, ICE would give the IRS a list of names and addresses of people it suspects are undocumented. The IRS would then check and confirm if the details are correct. However, it would not directly share addresses with ICE.
Tax records are normally kept private, and strict laws protect taxpayer information from being shared.For years, the agency has encouraged undocumented migrants to file taxes, collecting their addresses, employers, and income details in the process.
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Earlier this year, CNN reported that DHS had drafted a memo requesting home addresses of hundreds of thousands of undocumented taxpayers. Privacy experts warned that releasing such information would violate federal tax laws.
The latest version of the agreement is more limited. It allows DHS Secretary Kristi Noem or acting ICE Director Todd Lyons to request specific taxpayer confirmations, but only if they provide names, addresses, and removal order details.
Meanwhile, two immigrant rights groups in Chicago have sued the Treasury Department and IRS, arguing that federal law prevents the IRS from sharing taxpayer data with ICE. They have asked a judge to block the agreement, saying it violates tax confidentiality rules.
The final decision on the deal is still pending.
