WASHINGTON In a significant and controversial move, the Trump administration has initiated a process that will classify over 6,000 living immigrants as deceased. This action involves the cancellation of their Social Security numbers, which effectively strips them of their ability to work legally and access essential benefits. The measure is part of a broader strategy by President Donald Trump aimed at tightening immigration rules and pressuring individuals who have been granted temporary status in the United States under programs established by his predecessor, Joe Biden.

The administrations decision to categorize these immigrants as deceased will severely hinder their ability to engage with financial institutions and other services that require valid Social Security numbers. According to two individuals familiar with the details, who requested anonymity because the information had not been officially released, the affected individuals names and Social Security numbers will be transferred to a federal database typically reserved for tracking deceased individuals. This drastic action is intended to compel these immigrants to self-deport and return to their countries of origin.

While the exact criteria for selecting the 6,000 immigrants remain unclear, it aligns with the Trump administration's focus on individuals who have benefitted from temporary status during the Biden administration. This includes a significant group of over 900,000 immigrants who entered the U.S. via the Biden administrations CBP One app, which allowed them to stay in the country for up to two years under a presidential parole program that included work authorization. Recently, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revoked the legal status of those who had used this app, indicating a shift in policy that could lead to mass departures of these immigrants.

In a related development, a federal judge intervened on Thursday, halting the Trump administration's efforts to compel hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans who hold temporary legal status to leave the U.S. by the end of the month. This legal pushback highlights the contentious nature of immigration policies under the Trump administration.

When approached for comments, representatives from the Social Security Administration did not respond regarding the news of living immigrants being classified as deceased. The Social Security Administration possesses the most comprehensive federal database concerning deceased individuals, containing over 142 million records dating back to 1899. Importantly, the Privacy Act allows the agency to share information with law enforcement under limited circumstances, specifically in cases involving violent crimes or other significant criminal activities.

In a separate but pertinent development, the DHS and the Treasury Department recently signed an agreement facilitating the sharing of tax information between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This arrangement aims to identify individuals residing in the U.S. illegally by enabling ICE to cross-reference names and addresses against IRS tax records.

The acting IRS commissioner, Melanie Krause, who had been in office since February, resigned following the announcement of this agreement, raising questions about the implications of this collaboration on immigrant communities.

In another legal twist, a federal judge in March had temporarily barred a task force led by billionaire Elon Musk, aimed at reducing federal jobs and the size of government, from accessing Social Security systems housing personal data on millions of Americans. The judge criticized their efforts as a fishing expedition, highlighting ongoing tensions regarding the protection of sensitive information.

Skye Perryman, the president and CEO of Democracy Forward, a group dedicated to challenging various actions taken by the Trump administration in court, indicated that her organization is likely to pursue legal action concerning the recent handling of Social Security numbers as more details emerge. This President continues to engage in lawless behavior, violating the law and abusing our systems of checks and balances, Perryman asserted, emphasizing the legal ramifications of such policies.