Local experts react as the IRS agrees to share taxpayer data with immigration enforcement

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – Fears of deportation are growing after the IRS finalized an agreement on Monday to share taxpayer data with the Department of Homeland Security.

The IRS will turn over information to the DHS regarding undocumented immigrants who are facing deportation orders or are being criminally investigated.

Here in the Coachella Valley, tax preparers help undocumented immigrants file their taxes each year. This year, though, some preparers are seeing drastically fewer undocumented clients as fears about their data continues to grow.

According to experts, a large percentage of undocumented immigrants file their taxes, contributing billions in federal, state, and local taxes. A study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) reports that in 2022, undocumented taxpayers paid $96.7 billion.

News Channel Three is speaking with immigration attorneys and local tax professionals on what this means for undocumented taxpayers in the Coachella Valley.

Stay with us for the latest.