Professor Sarkar Talks to 'Marketplace' About Trump Officials' Bid to Access Undocumented Immigrants' Tax Data

Professor Shayak Sarkar spoke to the public radio program Marketplace on April 3 about the Trump administration’s reported plans to share IRS data on undocumented immigrants with immigration enforcement officials for potential deportation purposes. The plans challenge a long-standing firewall around the data of all taxpayers, including undocumented immigrants.

Sarkar explained that Section 6103 of the U.S. tax code “allows for people to now provide the IRS detailed information on their income and on themselves, without concern that it will be shared with other people, agencies, congressional committees, except under the narrowest of circumstances.”

Such strong taxpayer privacy provisions were instituted after the Richard Nixon administration weaponized IRS data against political enemies. 

“But as with other unprecedented actions, it’s going to require the courts to assert the importance of Congress’ will in the statute and the importance of the regulatory framework that has emerged from it,” Sarkar said.

Shayak Sarkar's scholarship addresses the structure and legal regulation of inequality. His substantive interests lie in financial regulation, employment law, immigration, and taxation.