12-04-2025
New Mexico immigrant rights group joins lawsuit over IRS and DHS agreement
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A local immigrant rights organization is sounding the alarm over the Trump Administration's agreement between the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Homeland Security to share data of undocumented immigrants who pay taxes.
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'It's grossly unfair, it's very dangerous, it's anti-democratic, and we all have to put a stop to it,' said Marcela Díaz, Executive Director of Somos Un Pueblo Unido.
Somos Un Pueblo Unido is just one of the immigrant advocacy groups taking legal action, filing a joint lawsuit asking a judge to temporarily block the implementation of the agreement.
Republicans are supporting the agreement.
'Some Democrats frame this as political, but it's simply enforcing existing laws written by Congress. The agreement is a practical, legal step under Section 6103 of the tax code, which allows data sharing for law enforcement purposes. DHS is only accessing targeted data on individuals with final removal orders or who are under investigation for serious issues,' said Ash Soular, spokesperson for the Republican Party of New Mexico.
But the lawsuit filed by the immigrant advocacy groups claims the agreement is unconstitutional. Díaz said for decades, undocumented immigrants have been using Individual Tax Identification Numbers, or ITIN, to report income, pay taxes, and open bank accounts under the assurance that their information would not be used by deportation authorities. 'It's a betrayal of trust for our community, but also it would lead to the detention, deportation, and separation of families that have come forward, that have complied with state and federal law in paying their taxes,' said Díaz.
According to Somos Un Pueblo Unidos, about 15,000 immigrants in New Mexico use ITIN to file their state taxes every year. 'New Mexico's immigrant population contributes approximately $1.4 billion in federal, state, and local taxes, with $554.6 million of that amount supporting public schools, hospitals, roads, and more,' said Somos Un Pueblo Unidos in a press release.
'These are terrible policies that are highly unmoral, irrational, but they're not just affecting mixed status immigrant families and children, they're affecting main street,' said Díaz. The group is also calling on state leaders to speak out and 'do more' for immigrant families in New Mexico.
Díaz said there is a hearing on the lawsuit next week. Meanwhile, The Associated Press is reporting that the head of the IRS resigned from her post over her disagreement with this agreement between the IRS and DHS.
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