The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have reached an agreement to assist in deportation efforts.
“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,” a Treasury spokesperson told Fox News.
“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 spokesperson said.
According to the memo, the agreement will protect sensitive taxpayer information while allowing law enforcement authorities to pursue criminal violations, Fox News explained. The agreement further allows officials to further investigations into criminal illegal immigrants who have refused to leave the United States 90 days after a judge issued an order of removal.
Last month, The Washington Post reported that there had been “weeks of negotiations” between the two agencies. Under the reported agreement, ICE would “submit names and addresses of suspected undocumented immigrants to the IRS to cross-reference with confidential taxpayer databases,” the outlet said, citing information provided by four people familiar with the matter.
The draft agreement obtained by the outlet limits the tax information to the addresses of immigrants with final removal orders. Data verification is for those “subject to criminal investigation,” the report noted. Requests for the information would be submitted by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem or Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons.
