The Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) obtained data showing that, from 2012 to 2016, there were “39 million instances where names and Social Security Numbers (SSNs) on W-2 tax forms did not match the corresponding Social Security records. The group said the Obama Administration’s termination of no-match letters resulted in a “thriving black market where illegal aliens can obtain the Social Security numbers of U.S. citizens in order to gain employment.”
In April of 2018, IRLI filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit to obtain records the number of “no-match” instances after the Obama Administration stopped sending letters informing employers and employees that there was an inconsistency between the name or SSN reported by the employer and Social Security Administration (SSA) records.
The data SSA produced showed that there were over 39 million instances over a four-year period, and that $409 billion was added to the Earnings Suspense File, which holds SS taxes that can’t be correctly credited to employees.
In a release, IRLI said, “This investigation shines a light on the depth of America’s problems as a result of allowing illegal aliens into the country. It also debunks the idea that being in the country illegally is a victimless crime. Millions of Americans, in many cases children, are having their identities stolen to enable even more criminal activity…As children reach late teenage years and apply for credit for cars, student loans, and other needs, they may find that their credit has been compromised with mortgages, credit cards and criminal records attached to their identities.”
IRLI said SSA, beginning in the spring of 2019, will send no-match letters to employers that submit at least one 2018 W-2 form with a name and SSN mismatch.
Read the IRLI release.
