Trump Administration Uncovers 275,000 Illegal Immigrants on Social Security Rolls
On August 14, 2025, President Donald Trump marked the 90th anniversary of the Social Security Act with a bombshell announcement: his administration had identified and removed approximately 275,000 illegal immigrants from the Social Security rolls. This revelation, coupled with the removal of 2.4 million outdated records, including those of individuals listed as over 120 years old, has sparked intense discussion about the integrity of the Social Security system, how such a situation arose, and what steps are being taken to address it.
How the Trump Administration Uncovered the Issue
The discovery of 275,000 illegal immigrants receiving Social Security benefits came as part of a broader initiative by the Trump administration to strengthen the Social Security Administration (SSA) and protect its financial sustainability. The Department of Government Efficiency, under Trump’s leadership, prioritized tackling fraud within the program, particularly targeting ineligible recipients draining resources from a trust fund projected to face depletion by 2034. The SSA, in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), leveraged a new payroll data exchange to cross-reference Social Security records with immigration status and taxpayer data.
This effort revealed that approximately 275,000 individuals, no longer holding legal status, were still listed as beneficiaries, with many continuing to receive payments despite having left the country or lacking eligibility under current U.S. law, which restricts benefits to lawfully present noncitizens who meet specific criteria.
Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano, a former financial executive, played a pivotal role in modernizing the SSA’s systems to detect such discrepancies. Enhanced data analytics and a new agreement between the IRS and DHS allowed the administration to identify fraudulent or outdated records more efficiently. Additionally, the SSA’s review of records for individuals listed as over 160 years old—some still receiving checks—underscored the extent of systemic oversight failures, prompting immediate action to clean up the rolls.
How Did This Happen in the First Place?
The presence of 275,000 ineligible recipients on Social Security rolls is a symptom of long-standing inefficiencies and vulnerabilities in the system. Several factors contributed to this issue:
1. Outdated Record-Keeping: The SSA’s database included millions of outdated or erroneous records, some dating back over a century. These included entries for individuals who had died, left the country, or lost legal status but remained active in the system due to inadequate updates.
2. Fraudulent Social Security Numbers (SSNs): Estimates from the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) suggest nearly a million illegal immigrants hold stolen or fraudulent SSNs. During the Biden administration, over 2 million SSNs were issued to immigrants in fiscal year 2024 alone, some of whom may have been ineligible. Weak verification processes allowed these numbers to be used to access benefits improperly.
3. Administrative Overload and Inefficiency: The SSA has historically struggled with backlogs, outdated technology, and insufficient staffing, which hindered its ability to verify recipient eligibility in real time. This created opportunities for ineligible individuals to remain on the rolls undetected.
4. Policy Loopholes: While U.S. law restricts Social Security benefits to lawful residents, lax enforcement and inconsistent coordination between federal agencies allowed some illegal immigrants to exploit the system, either through identity theft or errors in status verification.
These vulnerabilities were exacerbated by what the Trump administration describes as a lack of accountability under prior leadership, with Trump specifically noting that “Biden never kicked anybody off” the rolls, allowing the problem to persist unchecked.
Potential for Fraudulent Siphoning of Funds
The presence of ineligible recipients on Social Security rolls raises serious concerns about fraudulent exploitation. FAIR estimates that illegal immigration imposes a net fiscal burden of $150.7 billion annually on American taxpayers, with Social Security fraud contributing significantly to this cost. The 275,000 ineligible recipients could have collectively siphoned billions of dollars from the program over time, diverting funds intended for lawful retirees, disabled individuals, and other eligible beneficiaries. Additionally, the discovery of over 135,000 records for individuals listed as over 160 years old suggests either gross negligence or deliberate fraud, as payments to deceased or fictitious persons could be redirected to fraudulent accounts.
Such fraud often involves identity theft, where stolen SSNs are used to claim benefits, or the use of “ghost” records—accounts tied to individuals who no longer exist or are ineligible. These schemes may involve intermediaries who facilitate fraudulent claims, further draining the Social Security trust fund. The Trump administration’s findings align with concerns raised in a 2023 audit, which, while not confirming widespread fraud, highlighted vulnerabilities in the SSA’s oversight mechanisms that could be exploited if left unaddressed.
The Trump Administration’s Plan to Fix the Issue
President Trump’s response to this issue is multifaceted, combining immediate enforcement actions with long-term reforms to safeguard Social Security. Key measures include:
1. Purging Ineligible Recipients: The SSA has already updated records to remove 275,000 individuals no longer holding legal status, ensuring they no longer receive benefits. This process will continue with ongoing audits and data cross-referencing with DHS and IRS records.
2. Strengthening Fraud Prevention: A Presidential Memorandum signed on April 15, 2025, expands the SSA’s fraud prosecutor program to at least 50 U.S. Attorney Offices and establishes a Medicare and Medicaid fraud prosecution program in 15 offices. The SSA is also reinstating civil monetary penalties for fraud, a measure paused in recent years, and investigating earnings reports for individuals aged 100 or older to combat identity theft.
3. Modernizing SSA Operations: Under Commissioner Bisignano, the SSA is undergoing a digital transformation. Online services are now available 24/7, call wait times have dropped from 30 minutes to six, and field offices are fully staffed. A new payroll data exchange will enable real-time verification of employment and immigration status, projected to save billions over the next decade.
4. Policy Reforms: The “One Big, Beautiful Bill” signed into law eliminates federal taxation on Social Security income for most seniors, reinforcing the program’s focus on supporting lawful beneficiaries. Additionally, an Executive Order from February 2025 ensures taxpayer resources are not used to incentivize illegal immigration, with over 1,000 immigrants with criminal records or terrorist ties already barred from benefits.
5. Cost Savings and Efficiency: The SSA has identified over $1 billion in savings for the current fiscal year through efficiency measures and fraud prevention. Faster processing of disability claims and payments under the Social Security Fairness Act, issued five months ahead of schedule, further demonstrate the administration’s commitment to streamlining operations.