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Measure For Measure: The Uneasy Marriage Of Tax Policy And Immigration Reform, Jacqueline Lainez

Journal Articles

The United States has deeply contradictory policies related to undocumented immigrant workers. America’s disparate immigration and tax policies include immigration directives that designate deportation proceedings for any immigrant living in the U.S. without proper authorization. Simultaneously, the government’s enforcement of its tax laws requires undocumented workers to apply for a tax identification number in order to file taxes because, as undocumented immigrants, they do not qualify for a valid Social Security Number. Additionally, undocumented workers do not qualify for Social Security benefits, but they are subject to mandatory Social Security and Medicare payroll tax withholdings on their W-2 wages. This …