Elon Musk, a tech billionaire, has claimed that over 2 million migrants who entered the United States illegally in 2024 were given Social Security numbers and used them to claim benefits to which they were not entitled.
During a town hall in Wisconsin, Musk presented data from the Social Security Administration’s Enumeration Beyond Entry (EBE) program, which revealed that nearly 2.1 million migrants received Social Security numbers in fiscal year 2024.
This represented a significant increase from 590,000 in 2022 and 964,000 in 2023. The Trump administration estimates that approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants currently reside in the United States.
Musk, along with venture capitalist Antonio Gracias, who has been working with the Department of Government Efficiency to investigate the SSA, cited the distribution of Social Security numbers as evidence of fraud within the agency.
How Migrants Obtain Social Security Numbers?
Before applying for a Social Security number, noncitizens must first be authorized to work in the United States by Citizenship and Immigration Services.
To be eligible for Supplemental Security Income, you must meet certain criteria, such as lawful permanent residency, asylum, or refugee status.
However, Gracias claimed that after receiving work permits, many migrants were automatically assigned Social Security numbers without any interviews or identity verification.
The EBE program, launched in 2017 during Donald Trump’s presidency, was intended to streamline the issuance of Social Security numbers to eligible migrants.
According to a 2019 SSA inspector general report, Homeland Security is responsible for verifying applicants’ legal status prior to issuing numbers.
The SSA spokesperson did not respond to NewsNation’s request for comment on Musk’s claims.
Musk Alleges Biden’s Policy is a ‘Massive’ Political Strategy
Musk accused the Biden administration of using Social Security number distribution to reshape the political landscape by increasing the number of undocumented immigrants in the United States. He claimed that the goal was to establish a permanent Democratic majority.
Gracias also claimed that migrants with Social Security numbers were receiving the maximum benefits and using them to register to vote. Musk previously claimed that Social Security benefits were being paid to millions of deceased people.
Despite the increased issuance of Social Security numbers, a 2023 government audit cited by The Washington Post found that the SSA correctly processed noncitizen applications 99.8% of the time.
Migrants’ Contributions to Social Security
According to a 2024 analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), migrants paid $96.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2022.
Migrants with work permits paid $25.7 billion in Social Security and $6.4 billion in Medicare taxes, despite being ineligible for the majority of federal benefits.
The report also suggested that expanding work authorization to all migrants could boost tax contributions from $40.2 billion to $136.9 billion per year, with the federal government benefiting by more than $33 billion.
As Donald Trump campaigned to end illegal immigration, the debate over Social Security benefits for migrants remained a major political issue.
