Fact check: Do illegal immigrants who work still pay taxes out of their checks?

1. Summary of the results

The analyses overwhelmingly confirm that illegal immigrants who work do pay taxes out of their checks. Multiple sources provide concrete evidence of substantial tax contributions:

• Undocumented immigrants paid $96.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2022 ^{[1] [2]}
• They paid $66 billion in federal income and payroll taxes in 2023 ^[3]
• Specific payroll deductions include $25.7 billion in Social Security taxes, $6.4 billion in Medicare taxes, and $1.8 billion in unemployment insurance taxes ^[1]

The tax system enables this through Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) issued by the IRS, which allow noncitizens to file tax returns regardless of immigration status ^[4]. Undocumented immigrants must pay the same taxes as US citizens, including income and payroll taxes ^[5].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks several crucial pieces of context that significantly impact the immigration debate:

• Undocumented immigrants often pay higher effective tax rates than wealthy Americans - in 40 states, they pay higher tax rates than the top 1% of income earners ^[6]
• They receive few tax benefits in return for their contributions, unlike documented workers who can access various tax credits and social services ^[5]
• Tax compliance could decrease significantly if proposed IRS-ICE data sharing agreements are implemented, potentially costing billions in federal revenue ^{[3] [2]}
• Legalization would dramatically increase tax revenue - undocumented immigrants would contribute an additional $40.2 billion per year in federal, state, and local taxes if they had work authorization ^{[7] [6]}

Politicians and advocacy groups benefit from different narratives: those supporting stricter immigration enforcement benefit from portraying undocumented immigrants as tax burdens, while those supporting immigration reform benefit from highlighting their substantial tax contributions.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself contains no misinformation, as it's posed as a genuine inquiry. However, the framing could perpetuate common misconceptions by implying uncertainty about whether undocumented immigrants pay taxes.

The question omits the broader context that undocumented immigrants are significant net contributors to tax revenue rather than drains on the system. This omission could reinforce false narratives promoted by those who benefit politically from anti-immigration sentiment, while overlooking the substantial economic contributions documented by multiple independent research organizations including the Tax Policy Center and the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.