The Social Security Administration (SSA), once considered a secure vault of worker data, has quietly become a primary tool for immigration enforcement. 🛑 We expose the legal agreements and data pipelines that allow the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE to access the private records of millions of residents to target them for deportation.

1. The Data Pipeline: We break down the specific "Computer Matching Agreements" and the expanded SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) database. These systems allow DHS to bulk-scan Social Security files to identify non-citizens, a practice that has recently expanded to include voter roll purges in several states.

2. The Breach of Trust: Immigrant workers pay billions in taxes annually using ITINs or non-work SSNs with the expectation of privacy. We reveal how this data is now being funneled to ICE enforcement operations, violating the decades-old firewall between tax/benefit agencies and immigration police. This "bait and switch" puts anyone who has ever engaged with the legal system at risk.

3. The Human Cost: This isn't just about undocumented immigrants. We discuss how naturalized citizens and legal residents are getting caught in this digital dragnet due to database errors and "partial matches," leading to wrongful accusations of non-citizen voting and threats to their legal status. The chilling effect is massive: families are now afraid to apply for benefits they are legally entitled to, fearing that a SNAP application could trigger a deportation raid.