Move cancels Social Security numbers, cuts off access to work and services, and aims to force immigrants to leave the U.S. (referred to as “Digital Murder”)
The Trump administration has launched a covert strategy to pressure thousands of immigrants to leave the United States by marking them as deceased in federal records.
- More than 6,000 immigrants who had previously been granted legal presence under Biden-era humanitarian parole or similar programs have been added to the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) “Death Master File.”
- Their Social Security Numbers (SSNs) have been revoked or frozen, making it impossible to:
- Work legally
- Open or use bank accounts
- Access credit, housing, or healthcare
- Receive any federal or state benefits
- Use health insurance
- Maintain housing
- Receive retirement or disability benefits
- Face frozen bank accounts and blocked credit cards
- Risk school enrollment barriers for their children
Devin O’Connor, from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, called the move “unprecedented.”
“This is the first time in modern history that people have been falsely added to death rolls deliberately.”
Kathleen Romig, Director of Social Security Policy at Center for Budget and Policy Priorities:
“This is not about undocumented immigrants. This is targeting people who were lawfully admitted.”
Elizabeth Huston, White House Spokesperson:
“President Trump promised mass deportations. By removing the monetary incentive for illegal aliens to come and stay, we will encourage them to self-deport.”
Who Is Being Targeted and Why?
According to internal government documents reviewed by The Washington Post and The New York Times, the administration is focusing on:
- Immigrants with legitimate SSNs who have lost legal status due to Trump revoking Biden-era parole programs
- Those flagged as “suspected terrorists” or convicted criminals (initially)
- But officials admit the policy could soon expand to anyone without legal status
Immigrant advocates have strongly opposed this policy, labeling it as ‘digital murder’ and highlighting its detrimental effects on legally residing immigrants, emphasizing the broader implications for privacy and rights.
The orders came directly from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Acting SSA Commissioner Leland Dudek, under the premise of “national security.”
More on Targeted Immigrants: Who Are They?
Although the administration has not released official criteria, the individuals appear to be part of a larger group of immigrants who:
- Entered the U.S. legally under Biden’s temporary parole programs
- Used the CBP One mobile app, a government tool created to facilitate lawful entry and asylum claims
- Were previously granted work authorization and two-year stays
More than 900,000 people used the CBP One app, and many of them are now at risk of being labeled as deceased in the SSA database.
According to unnamed Trump administration officials, about 6,300 immigrants were added to the DMF after being flagged by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). These individuals were reportedly on a terrorism watch list or had FBI criminal records—claims not supported by public evidence.
The DHS and the Treasury Department use cross verification against tax records to identify and deport individuals deemed to be in the U.S. illegally. This collaboration represents a significant escalation in tracking immigrants through financial information.
It is believed that most of the SSN terminations were for individuals granted humanitarian parole status, meaning they had been legally allowed to remain in the U.S. temporarily. On April 8, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officially terminated their parole status with written notice
Related Resource:
A Form of “Digital Murder”
Immigration policy experts describe this action as a form of “digital murder” that denies people the right to exist within legal and bureaucratic systems. This policy violates privacy rules meant to protect personal data, raising significant legal and ethical concerns.
Martin O’Malley, SSA Commissioner under Biden said: “It’s illegal on so many scores… If Trump and Musk can ‘digitally murder’ anyone who entered legally, they can do it to anyone.” The Biden-era commissioner referred to the practice as a form of “digital disappearance,“ where government systems erase a person’s existence with no due process.
As Fatima Hussein of the AP wrote, this isn’t about immigration paperwork anymore. It’s about erasure.
Key Concern: This is happening without notice or due process for many of the individuals involved.
Undocumented Workers Pay Billions Into the System
Many of the targeted immigrants have paid into Social Security for years. Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP):
Undocumented immigrants paid $26 billion in Social Security taxes in 2022 alone.
Losing access to Social Security numbers cuts off immigrants from many financial services, affecting their ability to work and receive benefits.
Despite this, they are now being denied access to benefits funded by their own labor.
Can Immigrants Legally Receive Social Security?
Yes—but with limitations. Immigrants may:
- Obtain SSNs if they have valid work authorization or green cards
- Pay into Social Security through payroll taxes
- However, they typically cannot receive retirement benefits until:
- 40 quarters (10 years) of work are completed, or
- After five years of permanent residency
Additionally, losing a Social Security number can affect access to certain government benefits, impacting financial stability.
Despite contributing billions in taxes annually, many immigrants are excluded from receiving the benefits they pay into.
Explore SSA’s Guide to Noncitizen Benefits
A Snapshot of the Death Master File
- More than 142 million death records in the most complete federal database
- Dates back to 1899
- Typically updated by funeral homes, hospitals, or family reports
- Used by banks, employers, insurers, and credit agencies
SSA Quietly Renames the “Death Master File”
In recent days, the SSA renamed its **“**Death Master File”—a longstanding database used to track deceased individuals and prevent fraud—to the “Ineligible Master File.”
- This rebranding allows the agency to label living immigrants as “ineligible” based on false dates of death, multiple sources confirmed.
- This policy raises significant concerns about the integrity of social security data, as it can lead to the misclassification of legally residing immigrants.
- Once an individual is added:
- Their SSN is deactivated.
- Benefits are cut off.
- Employers and banks see them as deceased or invalid.
- Restoration can be “long and challenging,” according to SSA’s own internal guidance.
SSA Resource on Erroneous Death Reporting
Who Else Could Be Next?
There’s growing concern that this policy could expand far beyond its initial targets.
This policy is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to tighten immigration controls, including the classification of living immigrants as dead to encourage their departure and restrict access to essential services.
At-risk groups include:
- Immigrants with legal work permits
- Those in the Enumeration Beyond Entry (EBE) program (a process that assigns SSNs after immigration approval)
- Foreign workers or green card holders who haven’t reached the five-year Social Security benefit eligibility mark
Federal employees say SSA staff are bracing for the policy to grow—and fear further misuse of federal records.
How This Policy Affects Everyone
· Sets a dangerous precedent: Renaming a death-tracking tool as a tool of exclusion could be replicated for other marginalized groups.
The Trump administration’s decision to classify thousands of living immigrants as dead will significantly hinder their ability to access basic services, such as banking, that require a Social Security number.
· Expands surveillance and enforcement powers: What begins with immigrants could be expanded to other disfavored groups.
· Erodes trust in public data systems: Mistaken entries or malicious inclusion could destroy lives with no due process.
Political and Civic Backlash
The policy drew sharp rebukes from Democratic lawmakers, Social Security experts, and immigrant rights advocates:
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) – Senate Finance Committee:
“This raises the prospect of the Trump Administration stealing legally earned Social Security benefits from American citizens.”
Nancy Altman, president of the group Social Security Works, called the tactic:
“an outrageous abuse of power. Imagine losing your income, health insurance, access to your bank account, your credit cards, and your home—all in one keystroke.”
Two House Democrats, Reps. John Larson (D-CT) and Richard Neal (D-MA), issued a statement condemning the act as “digital murder.”
“The Trump administration’s weaponization of Social Security is shocking and unconscionable. If they cancel the Social Security number of one person, where do they stop?”
Legal Authority and Controversy
The Social Security Administration’s Death Master File typically includes only confirmed deaths. Under the Privacy Act, SSA can share information only in specific circumstances, such as:
- To law enforcement during active investigations
- When national security is at risk
- With permission from the individual
Marking someone as dead without evidence violates both the Privacy Act and due process protections under the U.S. Constitution.
Read about SSA’s policies on disclosure
Critics Call It a Weaponized Abuse of Federal Power
Martin O’Malley, former SSA Commissioner under Biden, warned: “If they can do this to immigrants who legally entered the country, they can do it to anyone. This is a digital police state.”
The Trump administration’s move to classify thousands of living immigrants as deceased for the purpose of canceling their Social Security numbers is part of a broader crackdown on immigration, raising significant concerns about governmental overreach and the affected individuals’ access to essential services.
Legal experts warn this action could violate:
- The Social Security Act, which governs how records are updated and used
- The Administrative Procedure Act
- The Fifth Amendment due process rights
- Federal privacy protections under the Privacy Act of 1974
- ”Administrative Overreach: Critics argue this exceeds SSA’s authority under the Social Security Act.
- Discriminatory Targeting: The inclusion of only immigrants, not U.S. citizens, raises Equal Protection concerns.
Skye Perryman, CEO of Democracy Forward, criticized the move: “This President continues to engage in lawless behavior, violating the law and abusing our systems of checks and balances.” Her organization is preparing litigation once more details are released.
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, American Immigration Council: “This is utterly unprecedented. And it has HUGE potential for error. People who are legally here may be wrongly declared dead.”
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, stated: “This move steals legally earned benefits and violates due process. Declaring someone dead in the system is nearly irreversible—especially now that Elon Musk’s team has gutted SSA’s customer service.” Legal advocacy groups expect a flurry of lawsuits.
Potential for Error—and Malice
Experts are raising serious alarms about data integrity: “If the data isn’t perfect, legally present people will be falsely declared dead,” warned Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council.
Thousands of living immigrants have been placed into the Social Security Administration’s ‘Death Master File’, with affected individuals newly added facing significant challenges in accessing basic services and maintaining legal rights in the U.S. This policy sets a dangerous precedent:
- Misclassification becomes nearly impossible to fix.
- There is no transparent appeals process for those affected.
- Federal officials are changing how identity databases are used—without Congressional oversight.
Inside SSA: A General Breakdown in Functionality
SSA’s acting commissioner Leland Dudek, who has overseen rapid staffing cuts and field office closures, reportedly emailed staff that the “financial lives” of the immigrants being marked as dead would be “terminated.”
Additionally, recent administration tracking efforts have intensified, with the Department of Homeland Security taking actions to monitor and identify immigrants through various means, including the sharing of tax data between the IRS and ICE.
Internal chaos at SSA:
- Field offices overwhelmed with visitors demanding explanations
- Jammed phone lines and malfunctioning websites
- Widespread fear of benefits being stripped from seniors and disabled Americans
One lawmaker accused Dudek of retaliating against the State of Maine, after its governor criticized Trump.
IRS Sharing Immigrant Tax Data With ICE
In another alarming move, DHS and the Treasury Department signed a deal this week enabling the IRS to share immigrants’ tax data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
- ICE can now request names and addresses of suspected undocumented immigrants
- IRS will cross-reference the data with tax filings
The acting IRS commissioner, Melanie Krause, abruptly resigned following public backlash over the deal.
More on this:IRS-ICE Data Sharing Agreement
DOGE and Elon Musk’s Role
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—a task force led by Elon Musk—has reportedly played a key role in database changes, including:
- Renaming the Death Master File
- Reorganizing SSA digital infrastructure to facilitate cross-agency data sharing
- Promoting AI surveillance models to detect “fraud” in benefit systems
Additionally, the task force has been involved in cutting federal jobs as part of its broader mandate to reduce the size of government.
In another case, a federal judge recently blocked a controversial task force, led by billionaire Elon Musk and tasked with reducing the size of government, from accessing SSA databases. The judge described the effort as a “fishing expedition” into Americans’ private data.
Musk has previously made unsubstantiated claims that immigrants are abusing Social Security and that Democrats are using it to “import voters.”
Tied to Larger Anti-Immigrant Agenda
This action aligns with other Trump-era revival efforts, including:
- Alien Enemies Act used to justify detention and deportation
- Mass deportations to countries like El Salvador, where some returnees have been imprisoned
- Attacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs
- Moves to ban anti-racist curriculum and academic freedom
Various Trump administration efforts related to immigration policy, such as classifying living immigrants as deceased to strip their Social Security numbers, were tactics to encourage self-deportation among immigrants who were permitted to remain in the U.S. under prior administrations, illustrating a broader crackdown on temporary legal statuses.
As one columnist wrote: “This is the new McCarthyism—with immigrants as the first targets.”
Meanwhile, a Judge Blocks Deportations of Other Groups
A federal judge temporarily blocked Trump’s plan to expel hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans who had been given temporary legal status under the Biden administration. The court determined that mass deportation without individualized review could violate due process rights.
What You Can Do If You’re Affected
If your Social Security number has been marked inactive or invalid:
· Request a copy of your SSA record to verify if you’re listed as deceased: SSA Request Records
- Contact the SSA immediately to dispute your status https://www.ssa.gov/agency/contact/
It is crucial to take steps to protect Social Security benefits, especially in light of recent policies that may affect access and integrity.
· Submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to see what data DHS or SSA has on you https://www.dhs.gov/foia-request-submission-form
- Reach out to your congressional representatives to demand oversight of SSA and ICE collaboration
· Report privacy violations to the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC): EPIC Privacy Complaints
· Seek legal help from an experienced immigration attorney if you believe your Social Security number has been deactivated or you receive notice of parole termination.
Stay Informed and Mobilized
To stay updated and protect your rights:
- Follow updates from ACLU, Democracy Forward, and NILC
- Use AILA’s policy tracker for updates: https://www.aila.org
- Track proposed rule changes in the Federal Register
- Share this information with at-risk communities and immigrant advocacy organizations
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Social Security Administration’s reclassification of thousands of living immigrants as “dead”
General Overview
What exactly did the SSA do to immigrants under this new policy?
The SSA, under direction from the Trump administration and at the request of DHS, added the names and Social Security numbers of over 6,000 living immigrants to the “Death Master File,” now renamed the “Ineligible Master File.” This file is typically used to record individuals who have died. Being listed in it disables a person’s Social Security number, effectively cutting them off from employment, financial services, and government benefits.
Why is the Trump administration doing this?
According to the White House, the intent is to remove the “monetary incentive” for immigrants to stay in the U.S. by stripping them of the ability to work and access services. The administration hopes this will encourage them to “self-deport.”
Who are the people being targeted?
The policy initially targets immigrants who:
- Entered the U.S. under Biden-era parole programs (such as CBP One)
- Had temporary legal status and valid work authorization
- Are alleged (without disclosed proof) to have FBI records or be on the terrorist watch list
Impact on Individuals
What happens when someone is listed as “dead” in the SSA system?
Their SSN is invalidated. As a result, they can no longer:
- Legally work in the U.S.
- Collect Social Security or public benefits
- Access or use most financial services
- File taxes using that SSN
- Be verified in E-Verify or credit reporting systems
Can banks freeze your accounts if the SSA marks you as dead?
Yes. Financial institutions rely on the Death Master File to prevent fraud. If your SSN is listed there, banks may freeze your accounts, deny loan applications, or close credit lines.
Can someone lose housing or school access because of this?
Potentially. Many landlords, school systems, and service providers rely on valid SSNs to verify identity. Losing your SSN could disrupt lease agreements or prevent enrollment.
Can affected immigrants still pay taxes or file tax returns?
No. Once an SSN is classified as deceased or ineligible, the IRS systems may reject tax filings under that number.
Will benefits like Medicaid, food assistance, or disability be cut off?
Yes. These benefits often require a valid SSN for eligibility and continued verification.
Legal and Due Process Issues
Is it legal for the government to declare someone dead if they’re alive?
Legal experts argue that this policy may violate:
- Due process rights under the 5th Amendment
- Privacy protections under the Privacy Act of 1974
- Administrative Procedure Act rules governing lawful agency action
Are people being notified before their SSNs are revoked?
Some individuals reportedly received written notice of parole termination, but many were not given adequate warning or opportunity to contest the action before being added to the file.
Is there an appeals process or way to challenge the SSA’s action?
There is no clear public appeals process specific to this classification. However, individuals can:
- File a formal correction request with the SSA
- Submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to understand their classification
- File lawsuits or request federal court injunctions with legal counsel
What if this happened by mistake? Can the error be corrected?
Mistaken death reporting is extremely difficult to reverse. SSA has stated that “erroneously reported” deaths are “long and challenging” to correct, often requiring legal documentation and intervention.
Broader Implications
Does this policy affect only undocumented immigrants?
No. The individuals targeted had legal status at the time they received SSNs. Many had valid work permits or parole authorization, and some may still be lawfully present.
Could this policy be applied to other immigrant groups in the future?
Yes. Experts warn this sets a precedent. It could expand to target:
- Immigrants with green cards or visas
- Refugees and asylees
- U.S. citizens if errors or political motives are involved
Is this an isolated SSA policy, or part of a larger crackdown?
It is part of a coordinated federal effort that includes:
- Terminating CBP One parole programs
- A DHS-IRS agreement to share immigrant tax data with ICE
- SSA system changes under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)
Is this policy permanent or can it be reversed?
A future administration or court ruling could reverse it. Lawsuits are being prepared by civil rights groups to challenge its legality.
Next Steps and Remedies
How can an affected person check if they’ve been listed as dead?
There is no public portal to confirm SSA classification. Affected individuals may notice:
- Denial of work authorization renewals
- Bank account access issues
- Credit rejections or notices from employers
What can affected immigrants do immediately?
They should:
- Contact the SSA to dispute the classification: www.ssa.gov/agency/contact
- File a FOIA request to SSA and DHS: www.dhs.gov/foia
- Seek assistance from an immigration or civil rights attorney
Can an attorney help fix the problem?
Yes. An experienced attorney can:
- Submit legal appeals
- Request record corrections
- Help protect work authorization and immigration status
- Challenge the SSA action in federal court if needed
Should someone affected stop working or leave the country?
Not without speaking to an attorney. Voluntary departure may negatively impact future immigration options. A legal review is essential before taking action.
Where to Get Help and Stay Informed
What organizations are helping challenge this policy?
- American Immigration Council
- ACLU
- Democracy Forward
- National Immigration Law Center (NILC)
How can I stay informed about policy updates or lawsuits?
- Sign up for alerts from advocacy groups
- Monitor the Federal Register for agency rulemaking
- Follow reliable immigration law resources like AILA
Can I contact my representative about this issue?
Yes. Contacting your members of Congress can increase oversight and public accountability. Constituents can urge investigations or demand legislative safeguards.
Why Legal Help Is Essential
Navigating this sudden bureaucratic purgatory requires experienced legal help. A joint task force, such as Joint Task Force Southern Border, plays a significant role in immigration enforcement, highlighting the intersection of military operations and immigration policy. Consider speaking to a skilled immigration attorney, especially if:
- You entered the U.S. through CBP One
- You hold a work permit based on parole
- You’ve received IRS or SSA notices suggesting deactivation
- You face pressure to “self-deport”
Consult Attorney Richard Herman: An Ally for Immigrants Under Attack
If your SSN has been flagged or you’ve lost work authorization, you need expert legal support now.
The federal government plays a significant role in implementing policies that impact immigrants, including the revocation of social security numbers.
Richard T. Herman of the Herman Legal Group is nationally recognized for fighting back against unlawful immigration enforcement.
Why choose Herman Legal Group:
- Over 30 years defending immigrant rights
- Deep experience in Social Security and immigration interface
- Experts in FOIA, litigation, and administrative appeals
- Multilingual, compassionate legal team
- Nationwide consultations available
Go Online to Schedule a Consultation
Call: 1-800-808-4013
Resources for Affected Immigrants
· Herman Legal Group – Immigration Attorneys
· National Immigration Law Center (NILC)
· Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC)
· American Immigration Council
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