US can now use immigrants' tax records to deport them

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has agreed to assist homeland security officials in locating immigrants targeted for deportation, marking a major shift in how the agency shares its strictly regulated tax records, according to a New York Times report. 

In a court filing, the Trump administration said that the I.R.S. and Immigration and Customs Enforcement had reached the agreement on Monday and that the two agencies had not yet shared any information. Under the terms of the deal, a redacted version of which was submitted in the case, ICE officials can ask the I.R.S. for information about people who have been ordered to leave the United States — or whom they are otherwise investigating. 

"Federal law tightly controls taxpayer information, protecting home addresses, earnings and other data from disclosure even to other agencies within the government. I.R.S. officials have for weeks warned that the Trump administration’s plan to use the I.R.S. to help with deportations could be illegal. The top I.R.S. lawyer was demoted as the agreement came together, and was replaced by a former Trump nominee," said the New York Times report. 

While tax information is generally protected, there are limited exceptions—one of which the Trump administration is invoking to permit its use in criminal investigations. Immigration advocacy groups have filed a lawsuit to prevent this data sharing, prompting the administration to reveal the agreement as part of its legal response. 

As per the report, millions of undocumented workers pay taxes, improving the financial outlook for federal programs like Social Security. The I.R.S. has "encouraged" them to submit tax returns using a nine-digit code called an individual taxpayer identification number. Immigration activists and tax lawyers told NYT they had long trusted that the I.R.S. would protect the confidentiality of migrants’ tax information, which includes where people live and work, and details about their families. 

Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/latest-updates/us-can-now-use-immigrants-tax-records-to-deport-them/articleshow/120100690.cms