As Tax Day approaches, undocumented immigrants grapple with a stark choice: risk deportation by filing taxes or forgo refunds and federal protections. Researchers confirm most pay $20 billion annually in income taxes, yet the Trump administration’s IRS policy of sharing addresses with immigration officials has intensified anxiety. One woman, fearing federal agents might ‘come after us,’ highlights the tension between civic responsibility and survival.

Failure to file could cost the Treasury $300 billion over a decade, per Yale Budget Lab estimates, as fewer workers contribute to payroll systems.