- The IRS and ICE have agreed to share immigrants' tax data in order to identify those living illegally in U.S.
- The agreement has been criticized for infringing on the privacy of American citizens.
- This effort is a part of President Donald Trump's crackdown on immigration.
The Internal Revenue Service has made an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to share immigrants’ tax information with the goal of identifying and deporting people living illegally in the United States.
A memorandum of understanding signed by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem formalized the data-sharing arrangement, according to The Associated Press.
The Treasury Department says that the agreement is a part of a larger nationwide immigration crackdown and will help achieve President Donald Trump’s agenda of securing U.S. borders.
There are people who argue that the information sharing arrangement goes against longstanding privacy laws and violates the privacy of all Americans.
In a recent filing, Department of Justice lawyers said that the arrangement “is lawful,” per CNN. The deal between the two agencies states that all cooperation will follow federal laws that dictate what taxpayer data can or can’t be shared.
“The bases for this (memorandum of understanding) are founded in longstanding authorities granted by Congress, which serve to protect the privacy of law-abiding Americans while streamlining the ability to pursue criminals,” said a Treasury spokesperson in a statement, according to AP.
What information will the IRS give ICE?
Because parts of the 15-page memorandum of understanding are redacted, it is difficult to know exactly what data the IRS will provide.
The terms of the deal say that ICE will give the IRS names and addresses of taxpayers it believes have violated immigration laws, per CNN. The IRS would cross-reference those named with its taxpayer data to confirm accuracy.
The IRS has the addresses of undocumented immigrants because in many circumstances, they register with the agency and pay taxes in exchange for their data remaining confidential.
In the agreement, it says that each request made has to be consistent with the tax code, and ICE will “ensure the proper handling, transmission, safeguarding, and security” of all data and information it receive, according to CNN.