Overview

• More than 6,000 immigrants, many with Biden-era legal status, have been classified as deceased by the Social Security Administration at the direction of the Trump administration.
• The policy uses the Death Master File, historically reserved for tracking deceased individuals, to revoke Social Security numbers, blocking access to banking, loans, and government benefits.
• The administration aims to force self-deportation by cutting off financial and legal resources, targeting immigrants who entered via programs like the CBP One app.
• The move has provoked legal challenges, significant backlash from advocacy groups, and the resignation of high-profile officials, including the acting IRS commissioner.
• Critics warn that the strategy raises privacy concerns, risks systemic errors, and could set a dangerous precedent for future misuse of government data.