Trump admin moves to mark 6,000 immigrants as 'dead' in deportation push

The Trump admin's move to mark 6,000 immigrants as 'dead' is aimed at removing them from the country. It is a part of a broader effort by to crack down on illegal immigrants who entered the US

US President Donald Trump’s administration on Friday (IST) has moved to cancel the Social Security numbers of as many as 6,000 living immigrants, according to an Associated Press report.

 

The move will classify these living immigrants as ‘dead’, thereby wiping out their ability to work in the US or receive benefits. It is aimed at removing them from the country. It is a part of the broader effort by Trump’s administration as it continues to crack down on immigrants who entered the US and were allowed to remain and work temporarily under programmes introduced by former President Joe Biden.

 

 

Citing sources, the report mentioned that the administration is moving the names of these immigrants and their Social Security numbers to a database that the agencies have been using to track the deceased.

 

Trump administration targets immigrants 

Stripping the immigrants of their Social Security numbers will cut them off from financial services. It will also make it harder to use banks or other basic services where a Social Security number is mandated. Further, it is aimed at encouraging these immigrants to self-deport using the CBS Home app and abandon the US for their home countries.

 

The report states that it is not clear how these 6,000-plus immigrants were chosen. It is worth noting that ever since Trump took charge at the Oval Office, he has targeted 900,000 immigrants living in the US temporarily by using the Biden-era CBS One app.

 

"Now, the administration is taking drastic steps to pressure some of those immigrants and others who had legal status to 'self-deport' by effectively canceling the Social Security numbers they had lawfully obtained." https://t.co/ZGZJxKv81F

— AILA (@AILANational) April 11, 2025

 

Earlier, on Monday, April 7, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revoked the legal status of the immigrants using the app. These immigrants, who were allowed to stay in the US for two years with work authorisation, are now expected to self-deport.

 

On April 10, the Trump administration announced that it would consider antisemitic activity on social media and physical harassment of Jews as grounds to deny immigration benefits.

 

Continuing with his crackdown on immigrants, the Trump administration on March 10 (local time) launched the US CBS Home app, which replaced the Biden era's CBS One app. The app was launched to allow immigrants to self-deport by offering a signal of their 'intent to depart' rather than facing arrests or detention.