The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has agreed to permit Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) access to taxpayer information in an effort to locate illegal immigrants subject to deportation from the US.
A Treasury Department spokesperson told Fox News, "The Internal Revenue Service and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement have entered into a memorandum of understanding to establish a clear and secure process to support law enforcement’s efforts to combat illegal immigration."
"The bases for this MOU are founded in longstanding authorities granted by Congress, which serve to protect the privacy of law-abiding Americans while streamlining the ability to pursue criminals. After four years of Joe Biden flooding the nation with illegal aliens, President Trump’s highest priority is to ensure the safety of the American people," the statement continued.
A senior Treasury Department official said that the memorandum of understanding (MOU) outlines a process so that sensitive taxpayer data is protected while also allowing law enforcement officials to pursue criminal violations.
The agreement will allow ICE to submit the names and addresses of illegal immigrants to the IRS, which would then check those illegal immigrants’ tax records and provide ICE with a current address. Those targeted would reportedly be those who have not left the US after a 90-day order from a judge.
In February, the Department of Homeland Security had asked the IRS for contact information on 700,000 suspected illegal immigrants and also requested the agency investigate businesses suspected of hiring them, however, then-acting IRS Commissioner Doug O’Donnell declined the request and resigned the following day.
