Trump brags about blocking 275K immigrants from Social Security

President Donald Trump announced that nearly 275,000 individuals without legal status have been removed from the Social Security system, framing the move as part of his administration’s broader effort to safeguard benefits and combat fraud.

Trump brags

“To protect our benefits, we’ve already kicked nearly 275,000 illegal aliens off of the Social Security system,” Trump declared from the Oval Office, where Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano joined him. Bisignano, the former chief operating officer of JPMorgan Chase and ex-CEO of financial technology firm Fiserv, did not comment on the president’s remarks. The statement came during a ceremony marking the 90th anniversary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt signing the Social Security Act into law. Trump appeared to reference a prepared list of agency accomplishments while speaking.

The Social Security Administration

The Social Security Administration later confirmed that it had “updated the Social Security records of about 275,000 individuals no longer holding legal status.” However, it declined to specify whether all those affected had been receiving benefits. “These are people, many of them have already left the country, and yet we were sending them checks all the time,” Trump said, adding, “Biden never kicked anybody off. Everybody joined. And we’re carrying out historic deportations to remove many more illegals committing Social Security fraud. It’s a Social Security fraud that was taking place at levels that nobody’s ever seen.” While undocumented immigrants are not generally eligible for Social Security, some contribute to or access the system through fraudulent means, including the use of stolen Social Security numbers to gain employment.

Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Bill’

Trump also highlighted new benefits for seniors under his recently enacted One Big, Beautiful Bill. The legislation provides a $6,000 tax deduction, which the White House says will ensure that 88% of seniors no longer pay taxes on their benefits. Additionally, the president highlighted improvements in agency performance. According to Trump, wait times at Social Security field offices are down 30% from a year ago, call wait times are down 73%, and disability claim backlogs have decreased by 26%. The Social Security Administration backed those claims, noting that call handling capacity has increased 70% compared with last year, with average wait times dropping from 30 minutes to just six minutes. Automation now manages most helpline requests, easing pressure on staff. In-person service has also improved, with field office waits reduced by nearly a quarter and appointment availability expanding fivefold.

Disability claims

The agency reported that the backlog of initial disability claims has fallen by 26% since last year’s peak, with processing times cut by an average of five days. Disability hearing delays have been reduced by about two months. More than $17 billion in payments under the Social Security Fairness Act have been delivered five months ahead of schedule. Officials estimate that efficiency and fraud prevention measures will save more than $1 billion this fiscal year. A long-delayed payroll data exchange is also set to launch, enabling direct information transfers from employers, a step projected to save billions over the next decade. Trump said the reforms show that “government can work for the people when there is will and accountability.”

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