Senior League and Illegal Worker to benefit from Immigration Bill

Over two million illegal workers who received their Social Security numbers before the year 2004 stand to receive Social Security benefits amounting to over $966 billion by the year 2040. The TREA Senior Citizens League reports this possibility as the organization testified before the House subcommittee on immigration on June 19, 2007. The organization’s executive director, Shannon Benton testified on the loopholes to the House subcommittee assigned in the following issues: immigration, citizenship, refugees, border security, and International Law.

Los Angeles, California, June 28, 2007 – According to the TREA Senior Citizens League, they are a nonpartisan advocacy group for senior citizens. They are based in Virginia and claims of 1.2 million supporters.

During the Hearing, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison proposed an amendment, S.A.1415 to the said Bill. This proposal was passed after a voice vote was mad. The proposal aims to prevent those illegal workers who had worked illegally and acquired Social Security numbers after the date of January 1, 2004 from getting any form of credit for Social Security taxes given in the past years.

However, the organization claims that the amendment does not affect those aliens who have acquired their non-work SSNs and worked illegally before the date specified of 2004. The amendment cannot prevent those aliens from claiming Social Security benefits.

Looking back in the period 1974 to 2003, the Social Security Administration issued more than 7 million non-work SSN. Some foreign nationals, who are illegal workers, became entitled for these numbers, entitling them to receive Social Security services like Medicaid and allocation of food stamps.

Most of these non-work SS numbers were issued during the time when there were lesser restrictions on the immigration policy. There were even aliens who did not need to prove their citizenship just to obtain a number. After receiving such non-work status, millions who attempted to do illegal work. They may probably be eligible for benefits under the Social Security depending on the Senate legislation being deliberated.