(C) Common Dreams
This story was originally published by Common Dreams and is unaltered.
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Musk Links Social Security Cuts to Immigration, Voter Fraud [1]
['Aliss Higham', 'Dan Perry', 'William Bennett', 'Alfredo Ortiz']
Date: 2025-03-20 09:00:42-04:00
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Elon Musk claimed that Democrats have been able to "buy voters" by luring them in with "government handouts" such as Social Security.
Why It Matters
Musk has made several comments in recent weeks regarding fraud in benefits and entitlements administered by the federal government. The latest claims come at a time when the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is unofficially headed by Musk, has been making swathes of changes to the Social Security Administration (SSA) as part of a clamp down on federal spending ordered by President Donald Trump.
Newsweek has contacted DOGE for comment via email.
The government agency has made several significant changes, including closing field offices, reducing staffing numbers and cutting some phone services.
What to Know
"By using entitlements fraud, the Democrats have been able to attract and retain vast numbers of illegal immigrants," Musk said on Monday during an episode of Senator Ted Cruz's podcast. "And buy voters. Basically bring in 10, 20 million people who are beholden to the Democrats for government handouts and will vote overwhelmingly Democrat, as has been demonstrated in California.
"If the Dems can bring in 200,000 illegals and get them legalized ... even without cheating, if you bring in illegals that are 10 [times] the voting differential in a swing state, it will no longer be a swing state. And the Dems will win all the swing states in a matter of time."
He has not presented evidence for any of these claims. Illegal immigrants are not eligible for Social Security retirement benefits, but in some instances can claim disability benefits, and several studies have found that instances of undocumented people living in America voting in elections is minimal.
A study by the Brennan Center for Justice, which examined 23.5 million votes from 42 jurisdictions in the 2016 general election, found around 30 instances of noncitizens voting. A report by the Cato Institute, a conservative think tank, yielded similar findings.
Elon Musk walks to the White House after landing in Marine One on the South Lawn on March 9, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Elon Musk walks to the White House after landing in Marine One on the South Lawn on March 9, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Samuel Corum/GETTY
Still, Musk said that DOGE will "turn off fraudulent payments of entitlements" to "illegals," as he listed several government programs that provide benefits and entitlements, such as Social Security, Medicare and disability benefits.
This week, the SSA announced that starting March 31, benefit claimants will no longer have the option to verify their identity with the SSA or change their direct deposit information over the phone. The SSA has said the change will "further safeguard Social Security records and benefits against fraudulent activity."
This is not the first time Musk has made such comments. Speaking as part of a wider interview about DOGE's role on Fox Business Network with Larry Kudlow, he said federal entitlements are "a mechanism by which the Democrats attract and retain illegal immigrants by essentially paying them to come here and then turning them into voters."
"This is why the Democrats are so upset about the situation," Musk said. "If we turn off this gigantic money magnet for illegal immigrants, then they will leave and they will lose voters."
He also told podcast host and Trump supporter Joe Rogan last month: "Entitlements fraud for illegal aliens is what is serving as a gigantic magnetic force to pull people in from all around the world and keep them here."
Can Immigrants Get Social Security?
An immigrant's eligibility for Social Security benefits is determined by their legal status.
The SSA states on its website: "Lawfully present noncitizens of the United States who meet all eligibility requirements can qualify for Social Security benefits. This rule also applies to noncitizens authorized to work in the United States who got a Social Security number after December 2003."
Legally residing immigrants in the U.S. may qualify for Social Security retirement benefits if they accumulate enough work credits throughout their careers. To earn these credits, they must obtain a Social Security number and pay Social Security taxes.
Immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally are not eligible for Social Security retirement benefits. However, those who initially entered the country unlawfully, but later received temporary permission to stay, may qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or disability benefits if they meet specific requirements.
"Illegal immigration unambiguously benefits the Social Security and Medicare trust funds," the non-partisan Center for Immigration Studies said in 2023. "Illegal immigration improves the finances of Social Security and Medicare for a simple reason: although illegal immigrants are generally not eligible to collect Social Security and Medicare benefits, many still pay taxes into the system. These taxes function as free contributions to the trust funds, as long as the illegal immigrants remain ineligible for benefits."
Federal Government Fraud and Waste
In April 2024, the Government Accountability Office under former President Joe Biden produced what it called a "first-of-its kind, government-wide estimate of federal dollars lost to fraud," which is defined as wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain.
It estimated some $233 billion to $521 billion was lost due to fraud per year between 2018 and 2022.
A July 2024 report from Social Security's inspector general found that between fiscal years 2015 and 2022, the federal agency distributed nearly $8.6 trillion in benefits. Some $71.8 billion of this—less than 1 percent—was classified as "improper payments."
These are mostly overpayments to beneficiaries - which are not considered fraud. In most cases, these are required to be paid back.
What People Are Saying
Kathleen Romig, director of Social Security and disability policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a think tank, told NBC News: "When you look at the numbers, it's actually the opposite: Undocumented immigrants cannot get SSI or Social Security benefits, but in fact, the undocumented immigrants contribute a lot to the Social Security system."
Dr. Shayak Sarkar, professor of law at the University of California Davis School of Law, speaking to Newsweek regarding immigration and Social Security in 2024: "Existing immigrants already in the United States are contributing to the SSA even without work authorization, and others with work authorization are oddly barred from contributing. Some undocumented immigrant workers make Social Security contributions through payroll taxes deducted from their paychecks—even if they will never ultimately make a claim for Social Security."
What's Next
Musk is yet to provide any evidence for his various claims regarding illegal immigration and federal benefits and entitlements.
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[1] Url:
https://www.newsweek.com/elon-musk-social-security-cuts-immigration-voter-fraud-ssa-2047699
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