In a bold move, President Donald Trump made it clear that his administration was serious about using some Internal Revenue Service (IRS) workers to help facilitate deportations. While initially seen as humor by some, Trump’s comments have sparked a broader discussion about how federal agencies might be repurposed to enforce immigration policies more aggressively.
Last month, Trump suggested sending nearly 90,000 IRS agents to the border to help agents round up illegal immigrants and send them back to their respective countries. This came just days after he issued an indefinite hiring freeze on the federal agency. While some didn’t take Trump’s remarks seriously, internal documents obtained by the Wall Street Journal suggest otherwise.
A memo dated February 7 revealed that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem tasked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent with deputizing law enforcement personnel, including IRS agents, to aid in immigration enforcement efforts. IRS agents are often armed and possess the authority to make arrests, making them suitable candidates to support the president’s deportation initiatives.
IRS agents also have access to information databases for businesses and individuals through its audit functions, which allows them to enforce the ban on hiring illegal immigrants. A William Mitchell law review highlighted that using IRS agents to address illegal immigration shifts the cost of deportation onto those profiting from bringing illegal immigrants to the U.S. rather than burdening taxpayers. It also noted that the approach could strengthen enforcement by incentivizing informants, encouraging civilians to report violations, and helping enforce the law.
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This comes as an increasing number of illegal immigrants have been returning to their home countries under the Trump administration.
Illegal aliens who attempt to cross the U.S.-Mexico border have been stopped “due to increased border security” at the border. Authorities in Honduras found 26 immigrants from Venezuela and Cuba heading back to Nicaragua, while another group of 23 illegal aliens from Honduras, Venezuela, Panama, and El Salvador were returning to their home country from Mexico.
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