How did policy changes or border and immigration trends in 2022–2024 affect SSN issuance to noncitizens?
Executive summary
Policy changes and program expansions between 2022–2024 — especially the Enumeration Beyond Entry (EBE) expansion to include naturalization (Form N-400) on April 1, 2024 — and large rises in authorizations and parolees produced a sharp rise in Social Security numbers (SSNs) issued to noncitizens: reported EBE issuances rose from roughly 590,000 in FY2022 and 964,000 in FY2023 to about 2.1 million in FY2024 (EBE data cited in multiple outlets) [1] [2] [3]. Simultaneously, agencies clarified that SSNs are generally issued only to those lawfully present and/or authorized to work, and that program mechanics — not automatic benefits for undocumented people at the border — explain the jump [4] [5] [3].
1. Expansion of a behind‑the‑scenes program drove most of the increase
The Social Security Administration’s Enumeration Beyond Entry (EBE) program — a DHS–SSA data transfer allowing USCIS application data to spawn SSNs without an in‑person SSA visit — was expanded in 2024 to include Form N‑400 (naturalization) beginning April 1, 2024, enabling most adults applying for citizenship to request an SSN through their naturalization filing [3] [6]. Media and fact‑checking coverage ties the large FY2024 jump in SSNs issued via EBE (about 2.095 million reported for FY2024) to that policy expansion rather than to an SSA practice of handing SSNs to people at the border [3] [2].
2. Legal eligibility rules still set the boundaries for issuance
SSA guidance and congressional summaries reiterate that SSNs are generally available only to noncitizens with DHS‑authorized work permission or lawful presence for a documented, non‑work purpose; cards for temporary work authorizations carry the legend “VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION,” while other non‑work SSNs read “NOT VALID FOR EMPLOYMENT” [4] [7] [8]. Fact checks and policy groups emphasize that lawful work authorization or lawful presence is a prerequisite for routine SSN issuance, and that EBE relies on USCIS’ prior verification [9] [8].
3. Border encounters and parole programs increased the pool of applicants — but evidence ties SSNs to lawful processes
Border and parole trends expanded the number of people interacting with immigration authorities and eligible for work authorization or parole between 2022 and 2024, increasing the pool who could seek SSNs via authorized channels [10] [11]. Oversight reports and fact‑checks caution that public headlines conflating the number of SSNs issued with undocumented people “at the border” misstate agency roles: CBP or Border Patrol do not issue SSNs at the border, and SSA’s automated EBE issuances reflect USCIS‑verified applicants rather than a blanket issuance to unauthorized crossers [12] [3] [4].
4. Administrative streamlining reduced in‑person friction and raised counts
USCIS’s March–April 2024 changes let N‑400 filers request an SSN or replacement card and permit USCIS to share status updates with SSA, reducing the need for separate SSA field‑office visits and lowering administrative friction for newly naturalizing people to obtain unrestricted SSNs [5] [13]. Analysts say that coupling immigration filings to automatic enumeration naturally inflated EBE counts because more applications were channeled through the automated pipeline [13] [3].
5. Conflicting political narratives and misinterpretations followed the numbers
Political actors and some White House/administration critiques spun EBE counts as proof of broad, permissive SSN issuance to “illegal aliens”; other outlets and fact‑checkers countered that the numbers largely represent legally present, work‑authorized, or naturalizing noncitizens processed through verified USCIS channels [14] [15] [3] [16]. Independent fact‑checks and SSA/USCIS materials stress the distinction between program‑driven enumeration and unlawful issuance at border crossings [9] [12] [5].
6. Recent pauses and reviews reveal operational sensitivity
Following public attention and internal reviews, SSA temporarily paused certain EBE issuances for some categories (noting 90‑day evaluations in media reporting) and later paused automatic issuance for many applicants as of March 2025 while the agency reviewed enumeration policies — underscoring that automated enumeration remains an operational choice subject to change [17] [18]. Available sources do not mention detailed outcomes from that 90‑day evaluation in the 2022–2024 window; follow‑up reporting is required to know final policy shifts [17] [18].
7. What this means for policy debates and public understanding
The evidence in reporting and government guidance shows the FY2022–FY2024 rise in SSNs to noncitizens was driven largely by expanded automated enumeration and by increases in authorized immigration interactions — not by SSA handing out SSNs at the border to undocumented crossers [3] [4] [12]. Policymakers and commentators should specify whether they mean SSN issuance through verified USCIS‑SSA processes or alleged, unauthorized issuance; conflating those produces misleading headlines [14] [9]. Detailed DHS and SSA statistics on who received SSNs by immigration status and application category would clarify future debates; available sources do not include a complete, disaggregated dataset for FY2024 beyond EBE headline counts [3] [2].