May 7, 2025 Editor, the News-Gazette, Under the guise of protecting Social Security (despite previously advocating that the eligibility age be raised - a major hardship to seniors), Ben Cline posted that “More than two million Social Security numbers were issued to illegal immigrants. That gave them access to taxpayer-funded benefits that should go to American workers and families. These programs were never meant to serve those who entered this country illegally.” This is false.
Fact: Under the Enumeration Beyond Entry program, implemented during the first Trump administration, Social Security numbers were begun to be issued to noncitizens who could provide proof of their legal status to work in the U.S. The rules have not changed.
Fact: In 2022, undocumented immigrants with legal work permits paid $96.7 billion into federal, state and local taxes, $25.7 billion in Social Security taxes and $6.4 billion in Medicare taxes.
Fact: In most cases, those undocumented workers are not eligible to receive benefits from federal agencies. Far from getting benefits to which they aren’t entitled, undocumented workers are paying taxes for benefits they will likely never receive.
Either our “representative” hasn’t done his homework or he is deliberately misleading his constituents - neither is acceptable. Perhaps, as Donald Trump, to whom he has granted his unquestioning loyalty, sinks in approval ratings, Cline is just fear mongering in a desperate attempt to hang on to his voters. ANNETTE GREEN Rockbridge County
