Generally true - if not stolen, then they would need to lie on the SSN appliation (no permission to work, but some other approved purpose, but then use it when working). It would be easy to cross-reference SS/IRS tax records on this front too. [https://www.ssa.gov/ssnumber/ss5doc.htm#work2].
They have to have those stolen SSNs (or one acquired fraudulently) to get on a W2 payroll, and there is no legal way to get a SSN like that if you aren’t here legally. SS and federal programs explicitly go after anyone with those stolen SSNs if they try to withdraw funds. I imagine California is not as friendly to it either, if you really dig in. But they happily accept contributions.
And it would be trivial to modify the system so those folks couldn’t get on the payroll in the first place by requiring new employee information be submitted and verified to prevent this - last I checked it was actually explicitly illegal to do that however. Though the data is required to be kept handy in case of a raid/inspection by ICE by the employer.
I don’t think anyone is claiming being here illegally is GOOD. Rather that the system benefits from doing things that way (in the sense of illegal folks paying in, and generally unable to withdraw), and things are structured to enable this at the benefit of companies, the US gov’t, etc.
‘illegals’ as far as I can tell are definitely not sitting at home fat on SS benefits. Rather the opposite.
> Thats always the claim, but they have stolen SSN's to get those jobs in the first place (those without SSN's aren't paying income tax).
Where are the criminal prosecutions if that is actually happening? For all of Elon's efforts, even he was unable to find much (if any?) social security fraud.
> Not to mention states like California which explicitly spend federal money on illegal immigrants through Medicaid.
With the exception of pregnancy and emergency care (which are relatively minor), this is not the case.
People get prosecuted for stealing SSN’s all the time (identity theft), just generally not for paying in taxes under said SSN. The gov’t loves free money.
