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How many undocumented immigrants have received social security cards since the 2013 immigration reform?
Executive Summary
Since the question asks for a specific count of undocumented immigrants who have received Social Security cards since the 2013 immigration reform, available analyses show no reliable, single figure in the supplied materials; official sources and recent reporting provide counts of Social Security numbers (SSNs) issued to noncitizens in particular programs and fiscal years but do not document a cumulative or definitive number of undocumented recipients tied to a 2013 reform [1] [2]. The evidence shows variability in what is counted—SSNs issued overall to noncitizens, program-specific enumerations beginning after 2013, and historical estimates of fraudulent or unauthorized SSNs—but none of the provided documents furnishes the precise statistic requested, leaving the question unanswered by the supplied record [3] [4].
1. Why the Number You Want Isn’t in These Records — a Transparency Gap That Matters
The supplied actuarial and policy documents clarify how SSA issues Social Security numbers and how eligibility is limited for those without work authorization, but they do not track a post‑2013 cumulative total of undocumented people who received SSNs or Social Security cards. The SSA Actuarial Note from April 2013 discusses historical estimates—such as roughly 0.7 million unauthorized workers with fraudulent SSNs around 2010 and other aggregate SSN-holder counts—but it stops short of producing an ongoing, post‑2013 tally of undocumented issuances, and it highlights changes in scrutiny after 2001 rather than a programmatic count tied to later policy changes [1]. This gap means published SSA materials and the linked policy analyses cannot supply the single number requested.
2. Recent Reporting Gives Large Annual Counts — But Not the Same Thing as “Undocumented”
Recent media reporting cites sharply higher annual counts of SSNs issued to migrants through specific programs—590,000 in FY2022, 964,000 in FY2023, and over 2.1 million in FY2024 under the Enumeration Beyond Entry (EBE) program that began in 2017—but these figures represent program issuances to migrants processed through particular channels and do not equate to a verified count of undocumented people receiving Social Security cards since 2013. These reports emphasize annual flows and program scope rather than the immigration status breakdown needed to identify who is “undocumented,” and they rely on SSA processing data and audits indicating high procedural accuracy rather than a status-based audit of every recipient [2] [4]. Program tallies are informative but not a substitute for the precise undocumented count you requested.
3. Legal and Administrative Constraints Mean Numbers Are Fragmented and Context‑Dependent
The sources explain that legal eligibility for SSNs and Social Security benefits depends on lawful work authorization or specific statutory entitlements, and laws since the 1990s limit benefit access for unauthorized immigrants; administrative practice and occasional fraud estimates create fragmented figures instead of a clean cumulative metric. The 2013 actuarial note and related policy pieces reiterate that SSA tightened scrutiny of SSN applications after 2001 and that past estimates of fraudulent or unauthorized SSNs exist, but those are snapshots and methodological estimates rather than ongoing counts that track status changes, program enrollments, or executive actions in later years that affected eligibility and enforcement [1] [3]. Consequently, counting “undocumented” recipients requires reconciling legal categories, program data, and enforcement history—something not provided in the supplied documents.
4. Differing Narratives: Program Expansion Versus Eligibility Safeguards
Analyses from the provided reporting and audits present two competing emphases: reporting on EBE and similar programs highlights rapidly increasing numbers of SSNs issued to migrants in recent fiscal years, while SSA‑focused audits and policy summaries emphasize high rates of correct processing and legal constraints on unauthorized immigrants receiving benefits. The BorderReport/NewsNation style pieces document millions of SSNs issued in specific years and program contexts, drawing attention to scale; the actuarial and policy documents stress controls and the absence of legal entitlement absent authorization. These different framings reflect distinct agendas—one to report operational scale and one to defend procedural integrity—so they must be read together to see the full picture [2] [4] [1]. Reading both shows scale without status confirmation.
5. What Would Be Needed to Answer the Question Definitively
A definitive answer requires a dataset that links SSN/card issuance records to verified immigration status over time and aggregates from 2013 onward, accompanied by clear definitions (e.g., what counts as “received a Social Security card” and whether Deferred Action, parole, or temporary protections count). None of the supplied sources provides such a longitudinal, status‑validated dataset; existing materials offer snapshots, program tallies, and historical estimates but stop short of a cumulative undocumented count. To close the gap, one would need SSA internal administrative extracts cross‑referenced with DHS/ICE/CBP status determinations or a specially commissioned audit or research project that tracks status at issuance and over time [3] [2] [1]. Absent such linkage, the precise figure cannot be produced from the supplied record.