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The Department of Homeland Security has requested the home addresses of potential undocumented immigrants from the Internal Revenue Service, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News, as part of its efforts to ramp up the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement agenda.
The Department of Homeland Security logo is seen during a news conference in Washington, Feb. 25, 2015.
Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP, FILE
The tax agency rejected an initial request and is now in discussions over how to accommodate DHS without violating tax privacy laws, sources told ABC News.
DHS is seeking to provide names to the IRS in exchange for home addresses, phone numbers and email addresses, an administration official told ABC News.
Section 6103 of the federal tax code requires the IRS to keep individual taxpayer information confidential with certain exceptions.
A flag waves outside the International Revenue Service Building after it was reported the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is preparing to fire thousands of workers in the coming days, in Washington, Feb. 18, 2025.
Kent Nishimura/Reuters
The IRS has allowed undocumented immigrants to file income tax returns with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs). Undocumented immigrants contributed $25.7 billion in Social Security taxes using borrowed or fraudulent Social Security numbers, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.
DHS has also asked the agency for auditors and investigators and accountants to help investigate businesses that may be hiring undocumented immigrants not authorized to work in the U.S. and is seeking the agency’s help targeting financial networks supporting trafficking organizations, the sources said.
Last month, DHS formally requested to deputize IRS agents from the Treasury Department for help with immigration enforcement.
The Washington Post was first to report the DHS request to the IRS for taxpayer information and resources.
A spokesperson for the IRS and the DHS did not respond to a request for comment.
-ABC News’ Luke Barr and Ben Siegel
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