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According to a recent report from The Washington Post, a deal is allegedly in the works that would allow the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to share confidential tax data, including addresses, of undocumented immigrants with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. The report cites four unnamed sources familiar with the matter and leaked portions of a draft agreement.
The Post reveals that under the purported agreement, ICE could submit names and addresses of suspected undocumented immigrants to the IRS for cross-referencing against confidential taxpayer databases. Typically, personal tax information, even an individual’s name and address, is treated as confidential and closely guarded within the IRS, with unlawful disclosure carrying civil and criminal penalties.
Under the agreement, ICE could submit names and address of suspected undocumented immigrants to the IRS to cross-reference with confidential taxpayer databases, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of professional reprisalshttps://t.co/RlAka34nmT
— Adrian Carrasquillo adriancarrasquillo.bsky.social (@Carrasquillo) March 22, 2025
However, tax information can be shared with other federal law enforcement agencies under certain limited conditions, usually with court approval. It would be unusual, if not unprecedented, for exceptions to taxpayer privacy laws to be used to facilitate cooperation with immigration enforcement, according to the sources.
Based on the draft, the data sharing would be restricted to “confirming the addresses of known unlawful immigrants who already have been ordered to leave the country.” Additionally, the IRS will only comply with requests submitted directly by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem or Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons.
BREAKING: IRS near deal with ICE to share addresses of illegals via tax data – https://t.co/TjtBTFgwou pic.twitter.com/rFTn3TjSTn
— ✟ Right Scoop ✟ (@trscoop) March 22, 2025
The requests “must include the name and address of each taxpayer, the date of their order for removal and other identifying information that would allow the IRS to verify the taxpayer’s identity,” per the report.
In 1999, the IRS promised undocumented immigrants that it would not share their data with immigration officials while encouraging them to use the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) program, which had been established three years earlier. This was part of an effort to promote tax compliance among those ineligible for Social Security numbers, including undocumented immigrants.
It is estimated that only about 50 percent of undocumented immigrants are paying taxes to the IRS.
