Below is an official statement from Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s office regarding reports that it targeted the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and immigrants.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) is joined by Rep. Linda Sanchez (CA-38), a member of the House Ways and the instrumental committee, and Dan Goldman (NY-10), a member of the House Judiciary and Homeland Security Committee, and Melanie Crause empers emapers comete, Employment Director, Employment Director of the IRS Committee, Employment Director, Employment Director of the IRS Committee. Private data targeting immigrant families with no suspected crime.
The firing of the financial authorities for resisting Doge’s attempts to access sensitive payment systems, and subsequent requests for addresses and other information of DHS taxpayers suggest a dangerous and surprising politicization and blatant violation of legal protections of the IRS. Wasserman Schultz, Goldman and Sanchez joined the Congressional Democrats to condemn these efforts to misuse taxpayer information to promote the Trump administration’s indiscriminate anti-immigrant crackdown that wiped out American citizens, veterans and children.
“The IRS has long maintained that tax compliance must be encouraged through security. This deviation from the guidelines maintains that it erodes public trust and prevents taxpayers from doing their duties, in an informal economy.”
nIn addition to Wasserman Schultz, Sanchez and Goldman, signatories include those. Becca Ballint, Nanette Barragan, Joyce Beatty, Donald Bayer, Suzanne Bonamich, Julia Brown Steve Cohen, Louis Correa, Jim Costa, Joe Courtney, Jasmine Crockett, Danny Davis, Diana DeGett, Maxine Dexter, Veronica Escobar, Adriano Esspillat, John Garamendi, Hess “Chuy” Garcia, Sylvia Garcia, Jimmy Gomez, Jad Jayapal, Henry Johnson, Ro Canna, John Larson, Sam Richal Do, Betty McCollum, James McGover, Ramonica McGover, Gwen Moore, Seth Moulton, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jimmy Panetta, Shimmy Panetta, Delia Ramis, Janice Smize, Darren Soto, Melanie Stansbury, Greg Stanton, Eric Swalwell, Schri Taneder, Benny Thompson, Dina Titus, Rashida Traeve, Jill Tokuda, Norma Torres, Juan Vargas, Frederica Wilson.
Read the signed letter here or below.
Dear Klaus and his secretary Noem,
It is written to express serious concern about the report that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is considering disclosure of taxpayer information to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for immigration enforcement purposes, including individual taxpayer identification numbers (ITINs) and address information. Such actions undermine taxpayer confidentiality, erode trust in our country’s tax system, and have a calm impact on compliance, especially among immigrant communities who donate billions of tax revenues each year.
Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code establishes strong protection of taxpayer information and ensures that personal data remains confidential except under strictly defined circumstances. Section 6103(i) provides narrow exceptions for sharing tax information with federal law enforcement agencies investigating certain non-tax offences, but does not grant the authority to use tax records to promote enforcement of citizen immigrants. For decades, the IRS has resisted calls to weaponize taxpayer data to suppress immigration, recognizing that doing so will put the integrity of its voluntary tax compliance system at risk.
The IRS itself has previously said[a]Sharing NY confidential taxpayer information directly or indirectly will have a calm impact on immigration officials’ efforts to bring ITIN holders and potential holders into the US tax system. ”[1] National taxpayer advocates have similarly warned that the balance between tax law and immigration enforcement “will undermine voluntary compliance.”[2]
The IRS has long argued that tax compliance must be encouraged through security.[3] A departure from this guideline risks eroding public trust and preventing taxpayers from fulfilling their obligations. If immigrants fear that submission taxes could be exposed to deportation, many choose not to file and turn resources into an informal economy while reducing federal income that contributes to public school funding, healthcare, and disaster relief for Americans. This will increase the deficit and transfer a higher percentage of tax burden to American citizens.
The IRS’s Chief Advisors Office has also confirmed restrictions on taxpayer information disclosure. The 2010 IRS memorandum revealed that while agencies may disclose tax information for certain criminal violations, Section 6103 generally prohibits employees of the IRS’ taxpayer advocacy service from sharing taxpayer return information with immigration enforcement agencies, including ITIN-related data.[4] This legal framework reinforces attempts to reuse tax data for immigration enforcement constitute a clear violation of the Internal Revenue Act.
Recent reports show that DHS requested taxpayer data from the IRS to promote large-scale immigration enforcement projects.[5] The request follows a report on the removal of financial officials who resisted DOGE’s mission.[6],[7] These actions suggest an astonishing politicization of taxpayer information and a potential violation of legal protections offered to all individuals regardless of the immigration situation.
The complaints filed last week in US District Court for the District of Columbia highlight the legal and ethical implications of these actions.[8] The plaintiffs allege that IRS cooperation with DHS in using taxpayer data for citizen immigration enforcement violates federal law, including section 6103, which strictly restricts disclosure of tax information.
Legal precedents support strict tax confidentiality principles. At the Church of Scientology, California. v. The IRS, 484 US 9 (1987), the Supreme Court reaffirmed that Section 6103 strictly restricts disclosure of tax return information.[9]
It urges the IRS and DHS to decisively reject any efforts to misuse tax data for immigration enforcement. It calls for formal clarification of the agency’s policies on this issue, including communications regarding DHS requests for taxpayer information. Additionally, we are calling on the IRS to reaffirm our long-standing commitment to taxpayer privacy and take all necessary steps to prevent the erosion of these critical protections.
We look forward to your prompt response and are ready to work with your institution to maintain the integrity of our tax system and the privacy rights of all taxpayers.
