María G. Ortiz-Briones
Merced Sun-Star (Merced, Calif.)
(via TNS)
Reality Check is a Fresno Bee series holding those in power to account and shining a light on their decisions. Have a tip? Email tips@fresnobee.com.
The news that the Department of Homeland Security has pressured the Internal Revenue Service to help with immigration enforcement actions has stirred up more concerns of potential mass deportations in Fresno and the Central Valley.
Last month, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem deputized special agents within the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service and the IRS to aid in arresting and deporting undocumented immigrants. DHS has also pushed the IRS to provide the addresses of nearly 700,000 undocumented immigrants as it seeks to carry out President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda, the New York Times reported.
It is unclear how IRS employees would assist DHS with mass deportations, but some immigrant rights advocates worry that it would be through records of Individual Taxpayer Identification Number filers. The Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, also known as ITIN, was developed by the IRS as a way for workers without a valid Social Security Number to pay federal taxes.
The DHS referred questions to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the IRS. Neither agency responded to requests for comment.
An IRS employee who was not authorize to speak on the issue said employees don’t know if or when they would be directed to assist DHS with immigration enforcement.
Undocumented Californians contribute nearly $8.5 billion in taxes annually, according to the California Budget & Policy Center, a research and analysis nonprofit.
In 2022, households led by undocumented immigrants contributed an estimated $75.6 billion in taxes, according to the American Immigration Council.
Manuel Cunha, Jr., President of the Fresno-based Nisei Farmers League, said he started receiving phone calls and emails concerning the potential use of ITIN to deport immigrants last month.
Cunha said one of the concerns is that the IRS would target businesses who may have hired undocumented workers.
“This will have an impact on industries such as agriculture, construction, manufacturing, landscaping and others including our rural communities,” Cunha said.
According to news reports, undocumented farmworkers immigrants in California fear that the information they report to the IRS — where they live and work — could be used against them by immigration authorities when filing their taxes returns with an ITIN number.
Antonio De Loera, communications director for United Farm Workers, said
farmworkers are already paying taxes through payroll deductions and news of DHS using ITIN numbers to deport people remains largely speculative.
“Don’t want to spread additional fear about it,” De Loera said.
While ITIN information is suppose to stay confidential with the IRS, he said the main concern right now for farmworkers is being picked up by ICE or border patrol in public places.
“It’s really the raids, the kind of arrest out in the community what is causing the most fear,” De Loera said.
Vianey Barraza Chavez, program manager for special projects at Education and Leadership Foundation, said the nonprofit offers ITIN application and renewal services and helps individuals file their taxes.
“We understand that some undocumented individuals may feel hesitant to file their taxes because of concerns related to the policies of the Trump administration,” Barraza Chavez said. “However, we are here to support those who choose to file and do remind them that their information is being sent to the IRS and can be accessed by the government.”
Monica Diaz, an accountant and owner of Diaz Financial Service in Fresno, said many of her clients who use ITIN numbers to file federal tax returns have been in the IRS system for decades during previous administrations.
DIaz said many of her clients are more concerned about being in public places than filing their federal taxes.
Cunha said the DHS efforts to enlist the help of the IRS for deportations targets individuals who use the ITIN program to pay taxes who are “hardworking people who play an important role in our economy.”
“We don’t have a problem if the IRS goes after the criminals who have been money laundering, fraudulent or playing the system. But let’s protect our honest and hardworking people from our communities,” he said.
What people should know about ITIN application or renewal services?
According to the IRS, people without a Social Security Number can request an ITIN number using a W-7 form.
What to bring: You will need to provide supporting documents to prove your identity and country of origin. The most common documents used include a birth certificate and consular ID or passport. An ITIN application must be mailed out with a copy of a tax return for the IRS to process it.
How long it takes: The process of applying or renewing an ITIN can take about 7 to 11 weeks depending on the volume of applications the IRS receives.
How long is the ITIN valid?: An ITIN is valid for as long as you continue to file taxes. However, if an ITIN is inactive for three or more consecutive years (meaning it is not used on a tax return during that period), it will automatically expire.
Renewal: ITINs don’t last indefinitely even though there is no expiration date printed on them. They need to be renewed if you receive a notice from the IRS, which will inform you when it’s time to renew. If an ITIN is inactive for three or more years it will need to be renewed the next time the taxpayer wants to file their taxes.
The IRS can accept a tax return with an expiring or expired ITIN, but there may be processing delays.
© 2025 the Merced Sun-Star (Merced, Calif.). Visit www.mercedsunstar.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Tags: deportation, homeland security, immigration, IRS, Taxes
