Social Security’s False Death Listings – Jim Francis Interviewed by The Washington Post

Francis Mailman Soumilas, P.C. Partner Jim Francis Interviewed by The Washington Post in Report on Social Security’s False Death Listings

A recent Washington Post investigation has uncovered that the Trump administration pressured the Social Security Administration (SSA) to falsely declare over 6,000 living immigrants as deceased — a move designed to strip them of their ability to earn legal wages and push them toward deportation. The names were added to the agency’s Death Master File, a powerful and far-reaching dataset relied upon by government agencies, banks, employers, and landlords to verify death status.

SSA staff warned that the database was vulnerable to manipulation and did not require proof of death for entries. Despite internal objections — including those from a senior SSA executive who was subsequently escorted from his office and placed on leave — the administration moved forward with the plan. Experts, including consumer protection and immigration attorneys, have called the action not only unethical but also illegal.

Jim Francis, partner at Francis Mailman Soumilas, P.C., was interviewed for the article and emphasized the life-altering consequences of being wrongly marked as deceased. Francis recently represented a Maryland woman in a lawsuit against the SSA for a similar error and explained how such a designation “financially paralyzes” individuals overnight. The SSA sells its death data to creditors, insurers, and credit bureaus, compounding the damage caused by incorrect listings.

“This is the source of data the whole world uses,” said Francis. “Which is why, if it’s inaccurate, it has such devastating impacts on people.”

As legal challenges mount and internal investigations continue, this unprecedented use of the Death Master File is under intense scrutiny for its legality and impact on civil liberties.

Read the full article and interview at The Washington Post.