The Trump administration is advancing a plan that would allow ICE to use taxpayer data from the IRS to help locate illegal immigrants with final deportation orders. A draft agreement would enable ICE to request address confirmations from the IRS using details gathered from tax filings.

Illegal immigrants who file taxes often use an identification number issued by the IRS, known as an ITIN, instead of a Social Security number. Their filings contain personal details such as where they live, how much they earn and where they work. While this information has been protected by strict confidentiality laws, new leadership at the IRS appears more open to sharing limited data with immigration authorities.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) raked in a record $4.9 trillion in taxes from Americans in the last fiscal year, per the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

— unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) January 8, 2024

The draft agreement reportedly limits ICE’s requests to individuals who have already received removal orders. Requests would only be submitted by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem or Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, and would include the person’s name, address and the date their deportation was ordered.

Career employees at the IRS have raised concerns over whether the plan misuses legal allowances for law enforcement access to tax data. Some worry it could erode public trust, especially among illegal immigrants who were encouraged to file taxes under the assurance their information would not be used for deportation efforts.

🚨🇺🇸 IRS NEARING DEAL TO SHARE TAX DATA WITH ICE FOR IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT

The IRS is close to finalizing a data-sharing agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), allowing immigration agents access to confidential taxpayer records to aid Trump’s… https://t.co/IUo23cMDvv pic.twitter.com/9siwDZeUNX

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) March 23, 2025

Earlier resistance from the IRS stalled previous efforts under the Trump administration. Just last month, Acting IRS Commissioner Doug O’Donnell rejected a DHS request involving hundreds of thousands of names, citing legal limitations. He stepped down the next day after decades of service. His successor, Melanie Krause, has taken a different stance and appears more willing to cooperate.

The IRS’s top legal counsel was also replaced recently, following internal opposition to sharing taxpayer details with immigration enforcement. With new leadership in place, the IRS and DHS have resumed talks, but with tighter guidelines on what may be shared.

The IRS has also reportedly been asked in the past to audit businesses suspected of hiring illegal immigrants as part of a broader immigration enforcement strategy.