Donald Trump's government has taken a new step to tighten its immigration policy: the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will share confidential information with immigration authorities to locate undocumented immigrants with deportation orders.
Agreement signed between the Treasury and Homeland Security
According to court documents filed on Monday, the IRS and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) signed a memorandum of understanding that will allow ICE to access tax data of individuals with pending immigration cases or who have ignored an order of removal for more than 90 days.
The agreement was signed by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The purpose, according to the document, is to facilitate the criminal prosecution of those immigrants who, after receiving a final deportation order, refuse to leave the country.
Trump intensifies resource use for deportations
The IRS and ICE have signed an agreement to establish a clear and secure process that supports law enforcement efforts against illegal immigration, a Treasury Department spokesperson told Fox News. He added that the agreement is based on existing laws and prioritizes protecting the American people.
President Trump has made it clear that this is a measure to expedite mass deportations, as he promised during his campaign. "After four years of Joe Biden flooding the nation with illegal foreigners, my priority is to restore safety to our country," he stated.
The IRS will cross-check tax addresses with ICE data
The agreement states that ICE may send the IRS the names and addresses of immigrants facing deportation orders. The IRS will verify this information with its tax records and provide updated data to immigration authorities that could facilitate the location and detention of these individuals.
The Treasury Department insisted that this procedure will only apply to individuals under criminal investigation who have already exhausted due process.
Concern within the IRS itself
Several veteran IRS officials have expressed concern. According to internal reports, they fear that this collaboration will damage immigrants' trust in the tax system, discouraging undocumented individuals from filing returns, which would affect revenue.
Let's remember that, even if an immigrant is in the country without legal authorization, they are still required to pay taxes. In fact, many do so using an ITIN number, a tax identifier that does not imply immigration status.
The Washington Post had already reported that the agreement would limit the use of this information to confirming addresses only, but would not prevent ICE from using that data to locate and detain people.
A controversial use of tax information
Civil rights organizations and legal experts warn that this decision could set a dangerous precedent. Although the IRS assures that other taxpayers' data will be protected, the line between criminal and immigration use begins to blur with this measure.
The Trump administration, however, considers this collaboration as part of a comprehensive effort to reduce the number of undocumented immigrants in the United States.
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