Shumita Basu

Also at the Social Security Agency, The Washington Post is reporting a new Trump administration tactic targeting mostly Latino immigrants is cutting people off from benefits by purposely and falsely labeling them dead. At the request of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Also at the Social Security Agency, The Washington Post is reporting a new Trump administration tactic targeting mostly Latino immigrants is cutting people off from benefits by purposely and falsely labeling them dead. At the request of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Also at the Social Security Agency, The Washington Post is reporting a new Trump administration tactic targeting mostly Latino immigrants is cutting people off from benefits by purposely and falsely labeling them dead. At the request of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

The Social Security Administration entered the names and legally obtained social security numbers of more than 6,000 immigrants who entered the country during the Biden administration into a database that the agency uses to track and cancel benefits for dead people.

The Social Security Administration entered the names and legally obtained social security numbers of more than 6,000 immigrants who entered the country during the Biden administration into a database that the agency uses to track and cancel benefits for dead people.

The Social Security Administration entered the names and legally obtained social security numbers of more than 6,000 immigrants who entered the country during the Biden administration into a database that the agency uses to track and cancel benefits for dead people.

That effectively canceled their social security numbers, meaning they could soon no longer have the ability to work legally in the United States, open bank accounts and credit cards, secure housing and more.

That effectively canceled their social security numbers, meaning they could soon no longer have the ability to work legally in the United States, open bank accounts and credit cards, secure housing and more.

That effectively canceled their social security numbers, meaning they could soon no longer have the ability to work legally in the United States, open bank accounts and credit cards, secure housing and more.

That's Lisa Rine, a federal government reporter for The Washington Post. She spoke with us about the White House's motivations for this move.

That's Lisa Rine, a federal government reporter for The Washington Post. She spoke with us about the White House's motivations for this move.

That's Lisa Rine, a federal government reporter for The Washington Post. She spoke with us about the White House's motivations for this move.

A White House official told The Post that the people whose social security numbers were canceled had ties to terrorist activity or had criminal records, though Ryan told us they didn't provide evidence to support those claims. They also said nearly 1,000 of these people were receiving benefits through Medicaid, 41 were collecting unemployment, and 22 had student loans.

A White House official told The Post that the people whose social security numbers were canceled had ties to terrorist activity or had criminal records, though Ryan told us they didn't provide evidence to support those claims. They also said nearly 1,000 of these people were receiving benefits through Medicaid, 41 were collecting unemployment, and 22 had student loans.

A White House official told The Post that the people whose social security numbers were canceled had ties to terrorist activity or had criminal records, though Ryan told us they didn't provide evidence to support those claims. They also said nearly 1,000 of these people were receiving benefits through Medicaid, 41 were collecting unemployment, and 22 had student loans.

Ryan told us the administration's move here is trying to push people to leave the country by cutting off their access to critical financial services.

Ryan told us the administration's move here is trying to push people to leave the country by cutting off their access to critical financial services.

Ryan told us the administration's move here is trying to push people to leave the country by cutting off their access to critical financial services.

This represents a stunning turn in data privacy at the Social Security Administration, where under previous administrations, personal information had been closely guarded. It's just the latest example of the extraordinary measures Elon Musk and his Doge team have employed to access and share personal data that had historically been off limits to immigration authorities.

This represents a stunning turn in data privacy at the Social Security Administration, where under previous administrations, personal information had been closely guarded. It's just the latest example of the extraordinary measures Elon Musk and his Doge team have employed to access and share personal data that had historically been off limits to immigration authorities.