EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) — The Trump administration has launched several new fronts in its fight against illegal immigration, going after immigrants themselves and the people who help them.
Late last week, the Administration ordered the Social Security numbers of more than 6,000 immigrants to be canceled by classifying them as “dead.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem requested migrants be placed on the Social Security Administration’s “ineligible master file,” effectively wiping out their ability to work or receive benefits.
According to The Hill, the move targeted immigrants legally admitted under President Joe Biden, given tax IDs and work permits, but later had their status revoked by the Trump administration, adding that it was done in hopes that they would self-deport.
The Trump administration also announced that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agreed to share the data of undocumented immigrants with the Department of Homeland Security to identify and deport people illegally in the U.S.
Immigrants who don’t have a work permit or a Social Security number use an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, or ITIN, to file taxes.
While the IRS’ rationale is that all wage earners regardless of immigration status must pay taxes, migrant advocates criticized the move as a breach of trust.
“When you provide information to the IRS it is confidential and the IRS is entrusted to use that information for tax purposes, not others,” said Ray Mancera, national vice president for the Southwest of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). “It is not up to them to share that with any other department. They have the responsibility to ensure the privacy of our information.”
According to NBC, the deal between the two agencies is limited to immigrants subject to criminal investigations. The IRS has issued 26 million ITINs since 1996, not only to undocumented workers but also for the spouses of legal residents filing a joint return and their dependents.
Friday also marked the beginning of a requirement for people in the country illegally to register with the federal government — the Trump administration’s new Alien Registration Requirement.
Homeland Security announced Feb. 25 that it was mandating all people in the U.S. illegally register with the federal government, and said those who didn’t self-report could face fines or prosecution. People will be required to carry registration documents with them.
Opponents sued to stop the registry, but a federal judge sided with the administration.
The Trump administration has said between 2.2 million and 3.2 million people could be affected.
However, the leaders from some of the nation’s largest immigrant advocacy organizations say they have yet to hear of any undocumented client volunteering personal information to the federal government.
Still, they say the requirement has sown fear among the undocumented community.
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), failure to register with ARR could result in fines and incarceration.
The Trump administration and Congress are also taking on various immigrant advocacy groups. This week, NewsNation reported that non-governmental organizations are being investigated by the GOP-led Homeland Security Committee following a memo showing they used taxpayer dollars to “facilitate illegal immigration.”
In El Paso, the federal government notified a nonprofit that helps migrants with legal services that it needed to terminate two of its programs, starting Tuesday.
Estrella del Paso said they were notified by the U.S. Department of Justice that it needs to terminate two programs that provide legal access to immigrants facing deportation — the Legal Orientation Program (LOP) and the Immigration Court Helpdesk (ICH).
“These programs help individuals who are facing deportation understand their rights and how their cases will proceed before the El Paso immigration court,” Estrella del Paso said in a statement.
Also in South Texas, nearly 200 employees of the Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project (ProBAR) in Harlingen, Texas, are expected to be laid off next month.
In this week’s episode of Border Report Live, we’ll discuss some of the newly found challenges these groups are facing. A representative from La Union Del Pueblo Entero, or LUPE, which provides similar services and holds “know your rights” classes in South Texas, will join the discussion.
The layoffs and loss of services also come as fewer migrants feel comfortable going out seeking help, and the number of migrants arriving in the U.S. falls to record lows.
Other advocacy groups, however, especially those that operate on donations instead of federal funding, vow to continue their work.
Border Report’s Julian Resendiz and Sandra Sanchez contributed to this report.
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