“DHS can legally request return information relating to individuals under criminal investigation, and the IRS must provide it.”
Critics Sound the Alarm
However, immigrant advocates and some lawmakers aren’t buying it. The lawsuit contends that the Trump-era policy falsely conflates civil immigration violations with criminal conduct—an insidious sleight of hand that could unlock taxpayer files with little justification.
“Obtaining access to return and return information by falsely characterizing civil immigration enforcement as criminal law enforcement would circumvent Section 6103’s carefully crafted protections,” the plaintiffs argue.
Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the Senate Finance Committee’s ranking member, blasted the agreement, calling it an “illegal move” that could erode protections for all Americans:
“This abuse of the immigrant community is a moral atrocity, and you’d be a fool to think Trump won’t go after others he dislikes, including American citizens.”
Trump’s Immigration Legacy Continues
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) hailed the agreement as part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. A spokesperson stated that information sharing across federal agencies is critical to addressing public safety threats and rooting out undocumented individuals from voter rolls and public benefit programs.
