Representative Veronica Escobar, a current member of the U.S. Congress representing Texas’ 16th district, shared her insights and concerns regarding immigration and tax policy on April 9, 2025. Escobar brought into discussion several topics, including tax payments by undocumented immigrants and the IRS’s sharing of tax information with other federal agencies.
In her first tweet, “But Congresswoman! How can undocumented immigrants pay taxes?” Escobar references a factsheet by the Immigration Council. She points to the role of ITINs, a tax-processing number issued by the IRS, ensuring compliance in tax payments regardless of an individual’s immigration status.
Escobar also addressed the misconception that undocumented immigrants do not pay taxes, countering this with data in her second tweet: “Undocumented immigrants don’t pay taxes!” She cited a study by the ITEP showing that undocumented immigrants contributed nearly $100 billion in taxes at various governmental levels in 2022.
In her final message, “The IRS deciding to share tax information with DHS is a betrayal of the agency’s longstanding guarantee…” Escobar expressed concern over the IRS’s policy change involving sharing tax information with departments like the DHS. She stated this could be considered a costly decision and a breach of trust, initiating further discussion through a series of tweets.
