Oregon Senator Says the Trump Administration Will Not Stop at Immigrants When Invading Private Information

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden says, if allowed, the Trump administration will not stop at immigrants when invading private taxpayer data.

Strongly opposed to the administration’s pressure on the IRS to disclose taxpayer data, Wyden claims it is a violation of data privacy laws and ‘if anybody believes this abuse will begin and end with immigrants, they’re dead wrong.’

Federal Government Wants Home Addresses of 700,000 Suspected Illegal Immigrants

Apart from requesting the IRS to provide the home addresses of 700,000 people suspected of living in the U.S. illegally, the Department of Homeland Security has also asked the IRS to deploy criminal investigators auditors to investigate businesses suspected of employing immigrants who are working in the country illegally, according to a Washington Post report.

To date, the IRS has refused to comply with the Department of Homeland Security’s request.

Undocumented Immigrants Pay Billions of Dollars in Federal Taxes

There are 5.4 million undocumented immigrants who file tax returns and the Tax Policy Center confirms that undocumented immigrants pay billions of dollars in federal taxes every year by filing annual returns or having money deducted from their paychecks.

Although they are excluded from certain tax benefits or obtaining Social Security numbers, the IRA allows them to file tax returns using Individual Taxpayer Numbers, aka ITNs.

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration says there were 5.4 million active ITINs in January 2021.

According to Nolo, a publisher of legal software and books, many undocumented immigrants file tax returns in the hope that paying taxes will improve their chances for legal residency. Nolo says paying taxes shows ‘good moral character,’ a required attribute to become a permanent resident or citizen of the U.S.

Senator Wyden is a Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee that deals with taxation and plays a broad role in setting policies for fiscal, health, social, and trade.

The committee also has oversight powers and the authority to evaluate, investigate, and review existing laws and the agencies that implement them.