from a release out of Sen. David Vitter’s office this morning…

U.S. Sen. David Vitter recently introduced the Child Tax Credit Integrity Preservation Act, which would prevent illegal aliens from claiming tax credits intended for American citizens and legal residents. Vitter’s bill is estimated to save at least $2.4 billion each year.

“The child tax credit was never meant to encourage illegal immigration, but unfortunately the current law allows it to do just that,” said Vitter.  “My bill would simply close this loophole that is wasting billions of taxpayer dollars each year and would remove a major incentive for illegal immigration.”

Under the current loophole, the IRS allows individuals filing with an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) to access the child tax credit (CTC) and the additional child tax credit (ACTC).  This means that illegal aliens – who do not possess valid Social Security numbers – are currently able to receive these tax credits by simply providing an ITIN.  Individual tax filers are already required to provide a valid Social Security number to claim the earned income credit (EIC), and Vitter’s bill would broaden that requirement to cover the CTC and ACTC.

A March 2009 report by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration revealed that ITIN filers are receiving billions of dollars in CTCs and ACTCs intended for working families, even though these individuals are not authorized to work in the U.S.  The report says of the ACTC, “As it now stands, the payment of Federal funds through this tax benefit appears to provide an additional incentive for aliens to enter, reside, and work in the United States without authorization, which contradicts Federal law and policy to remove such incentives.”

SSNs are available to U.S. citizens and green card holders, as well as some temporary visitors and guest workers, and Vitter’s bill would ensure that the tax credits go only to the taxpayers they were originally intended to benefit.

Vitter serves as the chairman of the U.S. Senate Border Security and Enforcement First Immigration Caucus.