Amid rising concerns about the fate of immigrants in the United States, fresh indications suggest that the administration of United States President Donald Trump is finalising controversial measures aimed at compelling illegal immigrants to leave the country voluntarily.
One such method reportedly involves adding them to the Social Security Administration’s database of deceased individuals.
According to a report by Reuters on Friday morning, the move is designed to accelerate self-deportation efforts by denying affected individuals access to vital public and financial services. The report indicates that the Trump administration is considering rendering the Social Security Numbers of certain immigrants inoperable — effectively cutting them off from government benefits and essential services.
Social Security Numbers, which double as tax identification numbers, are essential for accessing various services in the U.S., including healthcare, employment, banking, and other public benefits. If an individual’s SSN is deemed inactive or invalid, they become effectively invisible within the public system, making it nearly impossible to live and work legally in the country.
“Immigrants who were legally admitted to the U.S. under the Biden administration but have since had their temporary status revoked would be added to the Social Security Administration’s ‘death master list,’ which is normally used to identify dead people who should no longer receive Social Security benefits,” Reuters reported, citing a government source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The publication further referenced a New York Times report, which corroborated the claim that the Trump administration’s strategy is aimed at encouraging immigrants to voluntarily exit the country. According to the Times, “The goal is to pressure migrants to self-deport by effectively canceling their Social Security numbers and cutting them off from financial services.”
The Trump administration has already begun implementing related measures. According to the report, over 6,000 convicted individuals have already lost their security benefits as part of the broader effort.
“President Trump promised mass deportations and by removing the monetary incentive for illegal aliens to come and stay, we will encourage them to self-deport,” said Assistant Press Secretary Liz Huston in a statement. However, Huston did not directly address the specific plan to list immigrants in the database of deceased persons.
Since taking office, Donald Trump has made immigration enforcement a cornerstone of his political agenda, repeatedly vowing to reduce the number of undocumented immigrants in the country. He has consistently maintained that his policies are aimed at restoring America’s sovereignty and prioritising citizens, insisting he wants to “return America to Americans.”
