New acting IRS commissioner indicates she plans to comply with DHS's request for addresses

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3. Homeland Security Officials Push I.R.S. for 700,000 Immigrants' Addresses

Homeland Security Officials Push I.R.S. for 700,000 Immigrants’ Addresses
The tax collector has so far denied the request because of concerns it violates taxpayer privacy laws.


The Trump administration has engaged in a broader effort to try to enlist the I.R.S. in its plans for mass deportations. Julia Nikhinson for The New York Times

By Andrew Duehren
Reporting from Washington
Feb. 28, 2025

The Department of Homeland Security has pushed the Internal Revenue Service to turn over the addresses of roughly 700,000 undocumented immigrants it is seeking to deport, according to three people familiar with the matter, in a request that could violate taxpayer privacy laws.

I.R.S. officials have so far denied the department’s attempts to verify the addresses, the people said, because of the legal concerns. But the request is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to enlist the tax collector in its plans for mass deportations.

Many undocumented immigrants file tax returns with the I.R.S., giving the agency information about where they live, their families, their employers and their earnings. The I.R.S. gives immigrants without Social Security numbers a separate nine-digit code called an individual tax payer identification number to file their returns.

Taxpayer information is typically kept closely held at the I.R.S., with improper disclosure barred under federal law. I.R.S. officials have told their Department of Homeland Security counterparts that they need to follow rules governing taxpayer privacy, the people familiar with the matter said.

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Andrew Duehren covers tax policy for The Times from Washington. More about Andrew Duehren

A version of this article appears in print on March 2, 2025, Section A, Page 26 of the New York edition with the headline: I.R.S. Is Pressured to Turn Over 700,000 Immigrants’ Addresses. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe