The Trump administration is taking aggressive steps to combat illegal immigration by targeting the Social Security benefits system. Officials have begun adding illegal immigrants to the government’s “death master list” — a database typically reserved for deceased individuals — effectively revoking their Social Security numbers and rendering them unusable.
According to reports, over 6,300 individuals were recently added to the list. This initial group consists of migrants who had been legally admitted under the Biden administration but later lost their temporary legal status due to criminal convictions or national security concerns. While the current effort focuses on this group, officials have indicated that it could expand to include others in the country without legal status.
An administration official speaking anonymously said the goal is to undermine financial incentives that encourage illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S. The Social Security Administration’s acting administrator, Leland Dudek, reportedly informed staff via email that the “financial lives” of individuals added to the death master list would be “terminated.”
White House spokeswoman Elizabeth Huston affirmed the administration’s intent. “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. He is delivering on his promise he made to the American people,” she said.
The move coincides with a new data-sharing agreement between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Under the agreement, taxpayer data will be provided to immigration authorities to help locate and deport individuals in the U.S. illegally.
The death master list is commonly used by federal agencies and private institutions to prevent fraud and ensure that deceased individuals no longer receive benefits. Adding illegal immigrants to the list effectively nullifies their access to benefits, employment, and other services tied to a valid Social Security number.
This approach marks a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to enforce immigration law and reduce the economic burden associated with illegal immigration. Critics argue the policy could trigger legal challenges, while supporters contend it’s a long-overdue measure to restore rule of law and protect taxpayer dollars.
