Tell Congress: keep tax data safe from ICE

Despite decades of keeping tax information confidential, the IRS has agreed to share information on undocumented immigrants with ICE.

Harris, Tax filing should never be a trap. The IRS must not become a tool of deportation. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has just struck a dangerous deal with immigration authorities: agreeing to share tax information about undocumented immigrants. This is a troubling and unprecedented shift that puts years of trust-building and public interest at risk. For decades, the IRS has maintained a clear promise: tax information is confidential. Undocumented immigrants have relied on this assurance to fulfill their tax obligations, often using Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) to pay into the system even though many of them receive little direct benefit from it. These taxpayers, despite having no legal status, have contributed billions in tax dollars to help fund public schools, infrastructure, and essential services. According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), undocumented immigrants contributed a staggering $96.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2022 alone. For every 1 million undocumented immigrants, public services benefit from $8.9 billion in additional tax revenue. These contributions help keep our communities running -- yet now, those same communities are being told that cooperating with the tax system could be used against them. This is not only a breach of trust. It's a policy disaster in the making. The IRS must keep its promise to immigrant communities. Send a direct message to Congress demand they stop the collaboration between the IRS and ICE today! SIGN AND SEND This policy will not increase safety or justice. Instead, it will drive undocumented communities deeper into the shadows. Families will stop filing taxes out of fear. Small business owners will opt out of the formal economy. Workers will be more vulnerable to wage theft and abuse -- too afraid to report exploitation for fear of being deported. What's at stake is the integrity of the tax system itself. If people cannot trust that paying taxes is separate from immigration enforcement, then fewer will comply, shifting more of the tax burden onto citizens, or ballooning the federal deficit. Congress must act immediately to block this reckless and counterproductive policy. The IRS should be focused on ensuring broad participation in the tax system, not undermining it by turning tax records into surveillance tools. When people pay their taxes, they are contributing to the country they live in. We must defend the principle that no one should be punished for doing the right thing. Tell Congress to protect the trust that underpins our entire tax system. Let's keep tax policy about revenue -- not raids. -Rick Rick Weiland, Founder TakeItBack.Org Fund the Fight Paid for in part by TakeItBack.Org. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Contributions to TakeItBack.Org are not deductible for federal income tax purposes. Contributions to TakeItBack.Org support its many efforts nationwide and any focus is at TakeItBack.Org's sole discretion. Contributions will not necessarily be used to support activity in any one state or specific campaign. All content © 2023 TakeItBack.Org, All Rights Reserved P.O. Box 2017, Sioux Falls, SD 57101 (605) 274 8706 Sent via ActionNetwork.org. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from TakeItBack.Org, please click here.