Sonora, CA – Mother Lode Congressman Tom McClintock’s “Consequences for Social Security Fraud Act” has been folded into another bill, HR 1958, which recently passed the House Judiciary Committee.
Rep. McClintock explained that it makes specific acts related to Social Security or identification document fraud grounds for barring a non-U.S. national from admission to the United States or deporting the individual. The basis for this is triggered by offenses such as creating a fake identity document deliberately and without lawful permission, and making a false statement of material fact in a Social Security disability benefit application.
“The bill simply says if you are an alien who admits to, or is convicted of, social security fraud or identification document fraud, you cannot enter the country, and if you are already here, you should be deported,” stated McClintock at the House Judiciary Committee markup hearing, adding, “That’s just common sense.”
McClintock referred to a recent report by the New York Times, which found “as many as one million” illegal aliens are using fraudulent or stolen Social Security numbers. A 2022 investigative report found that due to this fraud, “victims may face tax bills for income they didn’t earn or depleted benefits and may suffer from poor credit histories or even criminal histories.”
By defining specific federal crimes that render an immigrant ineligible for and removed from the United States, this amendment addresses loopholes, eliminates the years-long litigation that frequently stymies the removal process, and enhances the immigration system. The legislation will next go to the House floor.
