President Obama is expected to bypass Congress and make controversial changes to the nation's immigration system on his own by the end of the year. The time table slipped from last summer when a pushback from outraged voters spurred members of the president's own party to warn him against taking any risky moves prior to elections.
TSCL is particularly concerned about Executive Action by the White House that would grant millions of immigrants, who are in this country illegally, work permits and access to Social Security. A change of status that supplies green cards and work-authorized Social Security numbers to undocumented immigrants would also open a pathway to Social Security benefits. That's because only work authorization is necessary to become entitled to Social Security — not citizenship.
Once former undocumented immigrants receive work authorized Social Security numbers, individuals can file claims for Social Security benefits when enough years of earnings and age requirements are met. When claims are made, the Social Security Administration uses the individual's entire earnings history to calculate benefits, even if jobs were worked under fraudulent and invalid Social Security numbers.
According to TSCL's 2014 Senior Survey conducted earlier this year, 78 percent of Social Security recipients oppose this policy and think Congress should prohibit payment of benefits that are calculated on earnings of unauthorized work by illegal immigrants. TSCL strongly supports legislation that would prohibit the Social Security Administration from using earnings under fraudulent and invalid Social Security numbers from being used to determine entitlement to benefits. Let your newly elected and re-elected Members of the Congress know what you think of paying benefits for "illegal work." Send an email to Members of Congress.
