Immigration reform long overdue

If there is one lesson to be learned from this incredible and extensive identity theft sting operation that started in Weld County last week, it’s that something needs to change.

And quick.

Last week, after an intense and lengthy investigation by the Weld County Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office, a series of arrests began in a case that is far-reaching and has national, even international, implications. While investigating an illegal immigrant accused of stealing a man’s Social Security number and using it to get jobs, loans and other services, investigators discovered that the man, Servando Trejo, had also been filing and receiving tax returns from the federal government.

This is just another example of how Congress and the federal government has dropped the ball on illegal immigration. And, what happened in Weld County just scratches the surface of what is happening nationally.

The investigation revealed that more than 1,300 illegal immigrants are suspected of using stolen identities to find work, and then filing tax returns through Amalia’s Translation and Tax Services in Greeley.

So far, at least 15 people have been arrested for identity theft or criminal impersonation, and that number will climb. They face deportation in addition to the criminal charges. District Attorney Ken Buck said warrants will be issued for the rest of the suspects over the next year, and more arrests are likely.

It is estimated these suspects have received some $2.5 million in tax returns from the Internal Revenue Service.

Think about it: One tax preparer, 1,300 suspects, $2.5 million. Now, multiply that by the thousands of tax preparers nationwide who have provided a similar services for illegal immigrants. If that could be recovered, it could save the government potentially from the worst economic downturn in history.

What’s incredible is that the federal government, specifically the Internal Revenue Service, is condoning this. According to IRS policy, when a person using a false name and Social Security number to gain employment files a federal tax return, the tax preparer is told to obtain a real identification and a legal tax identification number for the immigrant. This is then used to file the tax return.

It’s obvious to us there is something critically wrong with this system. Instead of the IRS saying, “Zing, we have someone using a stolen identity,â€