New Reply in IRS-DHS Lawsuit: The IRS Cannot Share Taxpayer Info to Assist Trump’s Mass Deportation Agenda
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, in a case brought on behalf of Centro de Trabajadores Unidos, Immigrant Solidarity Dupage, Inclusive Action for the City and Somos Un Pueblo Unido, Public Citizen Litigation Group, Alan Morrison and Raise the Floor Alliance filed a reply in support of a motion for a preliminary injunction in the lawsuit against Trump Administration officials to stop the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from disclosing tax return information to immigration enforcement authorities.
Today’s filing reiterates that the IRS cannot share taxpayer information to immigration authorities to support the Trump Administration’s mass-deportation effort. The reply addresses the new memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Treasury Department and Homeland Security that would pave the way for the IRS to share confidential taxpayer information with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Public Citizen Attorney Nandan Joshi, the lead attorney on the case, said the MOU confirms media reports that the IRS will not keep taxpayer information secure.
“Congress crafted a narrow exception allowing the IRS to disclose taxpayer information for legitimate criminal investigations,” said Joshi. “The Trump administration cannot lawfully use that exception to obtain confidential information about hundreds of thousands or potentially millions of taxpayers simply to increase its deportation numbers.”
A hearing on the motion for a preliminary injunction will take place on April 16 at 10:30 a.m. at the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse, 333 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20001 (Courtroom 24A).
The documents from the case can be found here. For additional information on the case, or to request an interview with the litigation team or our plaintiffs, contact Katie Garcia, kgarcia@citizen.org.