WATCH: Rep. Jim Costa pressures Trump admin to explain DHS, IRS cooperation in exclusive new letters
FRESNO, Calif. - In an exclusive interview with ABC30 Action News, Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) spoke about a letter he sent to the Trump administration demanding an unredacted copy of their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) allowing the IRS and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to share taxpayer data to target immigrants.
The IRS has generally prohibited sharing taxpayer information with other agencies. Former Acting Commissioner Melanie Krause and other IRS attorneys, now departed from the agency, have stated that this deal likely violates privacy laws under Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code, which is also the subject of ongoing litigation.
KEY EXCERPTS:
On Protecting Taxpayer Data Privacy
"What is it exactly that you want to know from the administration about this program?"ABC30 asked Costa.
"One, that they're protecting our privacy," said Costa. "Number two, I want to try to make sure that we protect this valuable workforce who put food on America's dinner table.”
On Protecting the Valley’s Workforce
"I think the administration's attempt here is very clear," Costa said. "They want to focus on farm workers that are undocumented and deport them."
"The point of the letter is to try to ensure that farm workers who are here undocumented have an opportunity to continue to work," Costa said.
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