The agreement would allow names and addresses of suspected undocumented immigrants to be shared with ICE. Mekahlo Medina reports for the NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Monday, March 24, 2025.
It’s not a done deal yet, but if an agreement bent between the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement happens, immigrant advocates and attorneys say it will be the first time the government uses confidential taxpayer databases for wide-sweeping enforcement assistance.
“Many people are fearful and are probably going to stop paying taxes,” said Alma Rosa Nieto, an immigration attorney in Los Angeles. “It’s a double edge sword.”
Undocumented immigrants have been paying taxes for decades with the hope that their commitment to contributing to the country might impact their dreams for immigration reform and a pathway to citizenship.
In 2022, undocumented immigrants paid $96 billion dollars in taxes, according to Institute on Taxation and Economic policy
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“If the theme is mass deportations, of course, this is just one more of the long arm to find more people,” said Nieto.
The Washington Post reports the IRS is close to finalizing the agreement with the Department of Homeland Security. It would allow ICE to cross-reference undocumented immigrants who have “final removal orders” with the IRS’ confidential taxpayer databases.
Only the Homeland Security Secretary and acting ICE Director would be authorized to submit requests to the IRS.
“I’m not afraid,“ said Juan Mateo, an undocumented immigrant who said he has lived in the U.S for 25 years and said he filed his taxes every year. “He, who has nothing to hide, has nothing to fear.”
Mateo believes since he doesn’t have deportation orders or a criminal background, he will be OK.
Many undocumented immigrants use an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number or ITIN to file taxes. It’s like social security number for taxpayers.
A Trump-appointed federal judge denied a recent emergency restraining order to stop the agreement citing the sworn declaration of the IRS chief privacy order saying “no tax return information discussed in the complaint has been disclosed to DHS” and that “neither President Trump nor the White House have made any requests for tax return information for immigration purposes.”
