MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Diya TV) — Billionaires Elon Musk and Antonio Gracias have warned about the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) handling of Social Security numbers (SSNs), particularly for non-nationals. During a recent presentation, Musk highlighted discrepancies in the SSA database, stating, “We found 20 million dead people marked as alive in the Social Security system. This is so crazy.”.
Gracias, who was part of the review of Social Security procedures, saw a steep increase in SSNs issued to non-citizens. He went on to say that while in 2021, approximately 270,000 SSNs had been issued to non-citizens, the figure was reportedly 2.1 million by 2024. He was worried about the potential consequences of the trend.
Referring to the issuance process of SSNs to immigrants, Gracias asserted that illegal immigrants who happen to apply for work permits are given SSNs issued to them without rigorous authentication. He said, “Once they’re in the country and apply for a work permit, the Social Security Administration automatically mails them an SSN—no interview, no ID required.”.
But these assertions have been challenged. The Associated Press reported that U.S. Border Patrol agents are not authorized to grant SSNs, and illegal aliens who live in the U.S. are generally not eligible for SSNs unless they meet special criteria.
Also, SSA Acting Commissioner Lee Dudek denied allegations that millions of dead people are receiving benefits. He said that old data systems can show people as more than 100 years old without indicating that something is going on fraudulently. The SSA has also acknowledged challenges in its enumeration process.
In 2019, the SSA Office of the Inspector General reported cases of non-citizens claiming multiple SSNs under the Enumeration Beyond Entry program, which illustrated vulnerabilities in the system. As the deliberations go on, one can see that the SSA is still having a hard time maintaining its procedures and records, especially the issuance of SSNs to foreign nationals.
