FAIR Advocates Against Tax Privacy for Illegal Aliens in Court

On August 12, 2025, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) submitted a legal brief to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, challenging a lawsuit led by activist groups aimed at preventing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from sharing information about illegal aliens with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

This legal battle is tied to a data-sharing initiative initiated during the Trump administration, which has raised concerns among these advocacy groups that enhanced scrutiny and information sharing could lead to increased deportations of the individuals they are trying to assist. The FAIR organization argues that the actions of these groups are paradoxical; while they seek an injunction against lawful federal actions, they themselves are aiding in the violation of existing immigration laws.

According to FAIR’s executive director and general counsel, Dale L. Wilcox, the principle known as “unclean hands” comes into play here. This legal doctrine prohibits parties engaged in unlawful conduct from seeking equitable relief in court. As these activist organizations are committed to facilitating unlawful immigration practices, their claims for protection against lawful information sharing are fundamentally flawed.

Wilcox stated, "There is nothing wrong with one federal agency sharing information with another, to further the purposes of Congress in the immigration laws." He emphasized that enabling such sharing is consistent with the legislative intent behind immigration policies. Moreover, he urged the court to recognize that the motives of the plaintiffs—as organizations fostering continued violations of law—render their appeal ineffective.

The case in question is Centro de Trabajadores Unidos v. Bessent, listed under case number 25-5181 in the DC Circuit Court. This case brings to light the ongoing tension between immigration enforcement and the rights asserted by activist groups that represent individuals residing in the country illegally.

Furthermore, FAIR advocates for the notion that transparency is key in immigration matters and that efforts to obscure this information only serve to protect interests that compromise lawful immigration processes. Wilcox remarked that the current effort to impede the sharing of information is simply a tactic employed by those whose agenda contradicts the laws designed to maintain order and security in immigration practices.

The organization looks forward to a ruling that would affirm the rights of federal agencies to collaborate and share critical information, thereby bolstering enforcement of the immigration laws established by Congress.

As this legal challenge unfolds, it remains a pivotal moment in the broader debate regarding immigration reform, transparency, and the responsibilities of both federal agencies and the organizations that purport to represent illegal aliens.