The Trump Administration Is Erasing People
There is no siren. No flashing lights. No court date. Just silence.
And in that silence, thousands of people vanish, at least on paper.
In one of the most quietly devastating policy shifts of his second term, President Trump’s administration has begun revoking the Social Security numbers (SSNs) of over 6,000 immigrants by adding their names to the Social Security Administration’s “Death Master File”—a list typically used to mark the deceased.
These immigrants are very much alive.
Many of them entered the U.S. legally under humanitarian parole programs like CBP One. They’ve worked jobs, paid taxes, enrolled their children in schools. But after losing their lawful status, they’ve become targets. Without warning, they are now marked as “dead” in the system which renders their SSNs useless. Bank accounts freeze. Job offers vanish. Rent applications are denied. To the world of institutions, they no longer exist.
The Justification—and the Human Cost
The administration defends this move as a tool to “encourage self-deportation.” The idea is simple: make it impossible to survive here, and people will leave on their own.
But this is not policy. This is erasure.
Imagine having to explain to your child why you can't open a bank account to pay rent. Imagine being told you no longer count because a government database decided you’re no longer real.
Legal and immigrant rights groups call this a profound abuse of federal power—one that not only strips people of their financial identity, but also chips away at the basic dignity of those who trusted the legal system enough to enter it.
It Doesn't Stop There
In addition to revoking SSNs, the administration has:
Revoked parole status for many immigrants who entered via the CBP One app, stripping them of protections they were granted under the law.
Approved the sharing of taxpayer information between the IRS and ICE, a breach so severe that Acting IRS Commissioner Melanie Krause resigned in protest.
Launched a mandatory registration system for undocumented immigrants aged 14 and older. Failure to register could result in steep fines—up to $998 per day—or even imprisonment.
These moves are not about fixing a system. They are about breaking the lives that depended on it.
What Comes Next?
Civil rights organizations are preparing legal challenges. They argue this is not just about immigration. It’s about privacy. About overreach. About who gets counted and who gets erased.
For now, the people affected are mostly immigrants. But the precedent being set—deactivating IDs without process, weaponizing tax data, forcing registration under threat of punishment—has implications that stretch far beyond borders.
If You’re Affected
Check your SSN status: Visit www.ssa.gov to confirm your Social Security number is active.
Get legal support: Use immigrationadvocates.org to find free or low-cost immigration attorneys.
Know your rights: Visit ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project for up-to-date legal guidance and resources.
Connect with support organizations: Centered America is fighting for change and we will not stop until we get there. Groups like Centered America, RAICES, United We Dream, and National Immigration Law Center offer direct assistance and advocacy!
This isn’t just a policy change. It’s a moral crisis.
Because when a government begins to quietly erase people, we are no longer debating laws—we are deciding what kind of nation we are becoming.
And the question is no longer who will they come for next?
It’s who will be left to stand up?
Join Us in the Fight
At Centered America, we’re building a movement to expose policies like these, support those affected, and rebuild the bridge between forgotten communities and the future they deserve.
But we can’t do it without you! Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to help us fund our mission and help more people find their voice in the silence.
We don’t answer to PACs or political machines—we answer to the people who still believe this country can be better.
OUR MISSION AT CENTERED AMERICA:
Centered America is an organization that was founded to rebuild the bridge between communities who feel forgotten, people who belong here, and disillusioned Democrats and Republicans. We’re committed to upholding constitutional and democratic principles, fighting oligarchy and fascism, promoting activism, and resisting the Trump administration’s dangerous agenda. To achieve this, we focus on reconnecting with all open-minded voters, addressing their concerns directly, reshaping Democratic messaging, and providing resources that empower citizens to actively engage in protecting our democracy.
Centered America won’t stop fighting for you, and won’t stop fighting to uphold our constitutional and democratic principles.
Keep fighting for our democracy, keep fighting for America,
Sharad & Gavin | The Centered America Team