Presidential Memo on Preventing Undocumented Individuals from Obtaining Social Security Act Benefits

On 4/15/25, President Trump issued a presidential memorandum that, among other things, directs the DOL Secretary, the HHS Secretary, and the Commissioner of Social Security, in consultation with the DHS Secretary, to take all reasonable measures to ensure that ineligible noncitizens are not receiving funds from Social Security Act programs, including by promulgating guidance and prioritizing enforcement actions against grantees or subgrantees that do not take adequate measures to verify eligibility, stop payments to deceased or ineligible payees, or otherwise prevent ineligible noncitizens from receiving funds from Social Security Act programs.

The memo also directs the Attorney General and the Commissioner of Social Security to expand the Social Security Administration’s full-time fraud prosecutor program and directs the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a similar fraud-prosecutor program for Medicare and Medicaid. The White House released a fact sheet on this memo. (90 FR 16451, 4/18/25)

Presidential Documents

Memorandum of April 15, 2025

Preventing Illegal Aliens From Obtaining Social Security Act Benefits Memorandum for the Attorney General[,] the Secretary of Labor[,] the Secretary of Health and Human Services[,] the Secretary of Homeland Security[,] the Commissioner of Social Security[, and] the Inspector General of the Social Security Administration