In a bombshell interview on Fox & Friends, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem leveled explosive charges against the previous Biden-Harris administration, claiming it knowingly granted Social Security numbers to over 6,000 illegal immigrants flagged on the federal terrorism watchlist. The revelation, part of ongoing efforts by the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has ignited fierce debate over border security and national threats.
Noem, appearing alongside co-hosts on April 14, described the findings as a direct result of DOGE’s audit of federal databases. “We have over 6,000 individuals who have been identified through their work already that have been on the terror watchlist [and] who are criminals,” she stated, emphasizing that these individuals were paroled into the U.S. and issued SSNs, enabling access to benefits like Medicaid. She contrasted the scale with the September 11 attacks, noting that just 19 hijackers orchestrated the deadliest assault on American soil, implying the current situation poses an unprecedented risk of “thousands of terrorist cells” embedded nationwide.
The DHS chief tied the issue to broader immigration policies, alleging deliberate laxity under Democrats that “stacked the country” with potential threats. Noem highlighted DOGE’s aggressive response: revoking SSNs for 6.3 million non-citizens, flagging recipients as “deceased” in Social Security records to trigger self-deportation, and deporting over 120 known terrorists since January. “This isn’t incompetence; it’s a choice,” she asserted, vowing to root out every vetted individual.
Critics, including Democratic lawmakers, decried the claims as fearmongering. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) called the SSN revocations “malicious and illegal,” arguing many affected were legally present migrants with temporary protections, not criminals, but the facts prove otherwise.
As midterm elections loom, Noem’s remarks have supercharged Republican calls for accountability, with House Oversight Committee hearings scheduled. The specter of undetected threats underscores a polarized nation’s immigration reckoning.
References:
- https://www.foxnews.com/media/dhs-secretary-kristi-noem-confident-her-agency-only-removing-criminals-from-us
- https://dailycaller.com/2025/04/14/kristi-noem-doge-illegal-immigrants-social-security-numbers/
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/04/10/self-deportation-immigrants-social-security-dead/
- https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/immigration/6300-migrants-social-security-death-list/
- https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/10/us/politics/migrants-deport-social-security-doge.html
Did you hear what she said!?
— Sarah Adams (@TPASarah) November 2, 2025
6,000 illegals on the terrorism watchlist were given Social Security Numbers.
That means they know 6,000 terrorists who are here (at the very least). Only 19 pulled of 9/11. pic.twitter.com/H9krgFQvCp
