Ramped-up immigration enforcement has been a priority of the Trump administration, largely through the Department of Homeland Security, overseen by Secretary Kristi Noem. (Getty Images)
The draft agreement language authorizes address verification on individuals "subject to criminal investigation" for violating immigration law, taking advantage of a narrow exception to IRS privacy laws that allow for the use of taxpayer data to aid criminal investigations.
The report notes that some veteran IRS officials have expressed concerns about the agreement, arguing that the narrow exception was meant only for criminal investigations and not for immigration enforcement. The officials also worry that the policy will hinder tax collection from illegal immigrants, who are still subject to federal taxes despite being in the country illegally.
The IRS has for years given illegal immigrants assurances that their tax information is confidential, the report notes, a policy that has helped them collect over 5 million tax returns from undocumented migrants.
The Internal Revenue Service headquarters building appeared to be mostly empty on April 27, 2020 in the Federal Triangle section of Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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O'Donnell was replaced by Melanie Krause, whom the report notes has shown more willingness to partner with DHS.
The agreement between the IRS and ICE has yet to be finalized. Neither agency immediately responded to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
Michael Lee is a writer for Fox News. Prior to joining Fox News, Michael worked for the Washington Examiner, Bongino.com, and Unbiased America. He has covered politics for more than eight years.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ice-nearing-historic-deal-irs-aid-deportations-report