Thousands of immigrants classified dead by Trump

Immigrants in the US without legal status will be classified as dead as part of plans to stop them accessing benefits, it has been reported.

The White House wants to make Social Security numbers inoperable for migrants whom it wants to pressure to “self-deport” as Donald Trump continues his clampdown on what he claims is an epidemic of illegal immigration.

People who were legally admitted to the US under Joe Biden’s administration but have since had their temporary status revoked would be added to the Social Security Administration’s “death master list”, according to Reuters.

Without a Social Security number it is very difficult to get access to a current account or credit card. 

Social Security numbers function as tax identification numbers in the US and are required to receive government benefits. 

Critics of the plan say it would “debank” lawfully-admitted immigrants.

The scheme was first reported by The New York Times, who reported that the goal of the Trump administration is to coerce migrants to self-deport by effectively cancelling their Social Security numbers and cutting them off from financial services.

“President Trump promised mass deportations and by removing the monetary incentive for illegal aliens to come and stay, we will encourage them to self-deport,” Assistant Press Secretary Liz Huston said in a statement, without directly addressing the plan.

The newspaper also reported that the names of more than 6,300 convicted criminals or “suspected terrorists” have been added to the government blacklist.

The use of the “death master list” is the latest example of Mr Trump seeking to expand the use of sensitive personal data to further his goal of reducing the number of immigrants living in the US.

On Monday, the Treasury Department, the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Homeland Security finalised an agreement under which taxpayer data will be provided to federal immigration authorities to help them locate migrants.

That led to the resignation of the acting head of the IRS and other top officials at the tax-collecting agency.

On Tuesday it was reported that the Trump administration plans to fine migrants under deportation orders up to $998 a day if they fail to leave the US and to seize their property if they do not pay.

From Friday, non-citizens in the US aged 14 and over who have been in the country for more than 30 days are required to apply for registration and fingerprinting with the Department of Homeland Security.

Once registered, non-citizens will be obliged to carry their proof of registration with them at all times or face possible criminal punishment, including a fine or imprisonment.