The 6.3K Migrants Who Were Unfairly Added to Social Security’s Death List!

More than 6,300 migrants who were legally allowed to work in the United States have been added to a Social Security Administration (SSA) list that usually contains people who have died. This unusual move was made after these individuals were considered security threats or were wanted by federal law enforcement.

According to a White House official, the Department of Homeland Security found that these migrants were either on the terrorist watch list or had FBI criminal records. All of them had entered the U.S. illegally during the Biden administration.

As of April 8, these individuals were removed from temporary parole given by Customs and Border Protection. This means they can no longer get work permits or receive federal benefits like unemployment payments, college loans, or Medicaid. A White House spokesperson said this step is part of a broader effort to reduce the financial incentives for illegal immigration. She also mentioned that by taking away these benefits, the administration hopes more migrants will choose to leave on their own.

But not everyone supports this move. Some people are concerned about placing living individuals on a list that is meant for the dead. The New York Times reported that some migrants, including children, will now be marked with fake death dates.

Being on this list not only stops them from working or collecting benefits but also creates serious problems in everyday life. Without a valid Social Security number, it becomes extremely difficult to handle financial matters like opening a bank account or renting a home.

Martin O’Malley, who used to lead the Social Security Administration under President Biden, said this action is like “financial murder.” He explained that it cuts off people’s ability to live normal lives by denying them access to basic services and financial systems.

The list in question is called the Ineligibility Master File. It includes over 94 million records and has been around since 1936. Originally, it was made to track people who had died and were assigned Social Security numbers.

The New York Times revealed that the Department of Homeland Security, led by Secretary Kristi Noem, asked for these 6,300 migrants to be added to the list. Once someone is added, their Social Security number or Tax Identification Number becomes invalid, which blocks them from receiving government support.

In a leaked email from acting SSA director Leland Dudek, he told staff that the financial lives of these migrants would be “terminated.” The White House also shared that 905 of those added to the list had been receiving Medicaid, which had cost the government $276,000. Out of those, four were on the terrorist watch list. Additionally, 41 of the migrants had received $42,000 in unemployment benefits, and 22 others had federal student loans worth $289,000.

This change comes shortly after several IRS officials quit. Their resignations came after the IRS agreed to help federal agents locate migrants living in the U.S. illegally. The IRS had also allowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to access migrant tax records, adding to the growing federal crackdown.

Some concerns about placing living people on the death list might be against privacy laws. The Washington Post pointed out that the Social Security Administration itself admitted in March that wrongly listing someone as dead could be devastating to them and their families. Losing access to basic government services due to this kind of mistake can seriously harm people’s lives.

The Department of Homeland Security has also taken away legal status from 985,000 migrants who entered the U.S. through an app called CBP One during the Biden administration. This app allowed users to schedule appointments for asylum requests and apply for work permits. However, under the Trump administration, the app has been shut down and replaced with a new app called CBP Home. The new app focuses more on helping migrants leave the country on their own.

Earlier, the DHS had also removed temporary legal protection from migrants from countries like Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. These migrants were allowed to enter the U.S. if they had a financial sponsor in the country. However, this policy will end on April 24, affecting over 500,000 people.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk has also made claims related to migrants and Social Security numbers. Speaking at a rally in Wisconsin, he said that over 2 million migrants were given Social Security numbers in 2024 alone. Musk argued that this gave them illegal access to government benefits. That number is a big jump from previous years—590,000 in 2022 and 964,000 in 2023. However, official data shows that only migrants who are authorized to work are eligible for Social Security numbers.

Musk had also claimed that many people listed in the Social Security system were over 100 years old, calling it the biggest fraud in history. But earlier reports from NewsNation clarified that while some records do exist without a listed date of death, it doesn’t mean those people are receiving benefits. A 2024 report from the SSA’s inspector general said that from 2015 to 2022, less than 1% of the $8.6 trillion in benefits was wrongly paid. Most of these mistakes were overpayments to living people, not fraud.

According to experts like Alex Nowrasteh from the Cato Institute, what Musk described isn’t fraud—it’s just poor data management by the Social Security Administration. The issue here seems more about messy records than a coordinated scam.

In the end, this move to add migrants to the SSA’s death list is raising a lot of questions—not only about legality and privacy but also about the future of U.S. immigration policy. While some see it as a tough measure to control illegal immigration, others believe it crosses a line and could hurt innocent people.

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