'It is your duty to file taxes': IRS accord with immigration officials creates quandary for some

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

In the face of a new agreement giving ICE limited access to IRS data on immigrants, attorney Ysabel Lonazco still counsels payment of taxes.
She also recognizes that the change could put immigrants here illegally who pay income taxes at heightened risk of detection.
The immigration attorney addressed immigrants' rights at a forum at Salt Lake Community College.

TAYLORSVILLE — The new information-sharing agreement granting immigration authorities a measure of access to IRS data about immigrants here illegally creates a quandary for some, says immigration attorney Ysabel Lonazco.

"As an attorney, my duty is to tell you what the law says. My duty is to tell you that, yes, it is your duty to file taxes," she said at a forum Thursday at Salt Lake Community College on immigrants' rights.

On the other hand, under the agreement inked Monday, officials from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, will gain limited access to some IRS information about immigrants here illegally who pay their taxes. The accord is meant to assist federal officials in efforts to detain and deport such immigrants, a priority for President Donald Trump.

Heretofore, the IRS has kept taxpayer information private and Lonazco, based in West Valley City, recognized that the change could put immigrants here illegally who pay income taxes at heightened risk of detection. Accordingly, while advising payment of taxes, she also recognized some may face a tough "personal decision" on the matter.

Her hope and belief is that federal officials are focused on tracking immigrants here illegally who have committed crimes, meaning others wouldn't necessarily fall onto the radar screen of immigration officials.

"That is my wishful thinking," she said.

Under Monday's agreement, the IRS is authorized to cross-verify names and addresses of immigrants in the country illegally submitted by ICE, according to the Associated Press. While proponents see it as a means of tracking immigrants in the country illegally, critics see the change as a violation of privacy laws. On another level, Lonazco hinted at the impact the change could have on the collection of tax funding for Social Security and other federal operations if some stop paying taxes. While taxpaying immigrants help bolster Social Security, they're not able to benefit from the system.

Lonazco spoke at SLCC's Taylorsville campus, offering advice to the immigrant community on contending with heightened efforts by immigration authorities under Trump. It was one of a range of SLCC activities slated for April, Dreamers Month at the school.

"Regardless of your status, you have rights," she said.

Attorney Ysabel Lonazco offered advice at an immigrant rights forum at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville on Thursday. (Photo: Tim Vandenack, KSL.com)

Numerous immigrant advocacy groups in Utah and beyond have held similar forums focused on immigrant rights in light of the Trump administration's focus on immigration. Lonazco repeated some of the key messages the varied organizations have offered. Immigrants have the right to remain silent when confronted by immigration authorities and the right to an attorney, though they'd have to cover the cost of immigration representation, she said.

She also advised against providing authorities with phony documents. "Don't give them a fake Social Security (card). Don't give them a fake name. It's best if you just don't say anything and exercise your right to remain silent," she said.

In the event of being detained, she advised memorizing the phone number of an attorney or someone else who could help. She also suggested seeking out the help of an attorney sooner rather than later about possible avenues to remain in the country legally. "Don't wait until you are in immigration custody," she said.

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.