The WTHR 13 News in Indiana has brought renewed attention to how the IRS handles income tax returns from illegal immigrants. When an illegal immigrant files a return they will often use an ITIN number (unless they choose to use a fraudulent SSN). WTHR's report focuses on those returns that have claimed Child Tax Credits, allowing the illegal immigrant to receive large tax refunds - often for children not residing in the the U.S.
This is not a new issue; the Center for Immigration Studies has reported on the use of ITIN numbers since 2002 and reported on the Treasury Department reports featured in the WTHR exposé in 2010 and 2011. Regardless, the loophole continues to hemorrhage tax revenue and in depth reporting on topics such as this is rare, particularly in TV news. Hopefully the following report helps keep this issue afloat at a national level.