TREA Senior Citizens League has filed two Freedom of Information Act lawsuits intended to force the federal government to release information about the costs of the Social Security Totalization Agreement with Mexico and to the U.S. Social Security Trust Fund.  Despite repeated requests by TSCL under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Department of State, and the Social Security Administration have refused to release an actual copy of the Agreement or provide all pertinent information.  "We are outraged that our government won't tell us how much they plan to take out of the Social Security Trust Fund to pay for the Totalization Agreement with Mexico, and we want to know what they're hiding," says Ralph McCutchen, Chairman of the TREA Senior Citizens League.

Sign the Petition to Congress Protesting Illegal Alien Amnesty 'Guest Worker' Legislation and U.S. Social Security Totalization With Mexico

A 1986 law makes it illegal to employ immigrants without valid work-authorized Social Security numbers.  Nevertheless, our government has rarely enforced it.  Illegal immigrants who are working under fake, or "non-work" authorized, Social Security numbers can receive credit towards benefits for work they performed while illegal if they later gain a valid, work-authorized Social Security number. 

TSCL believes that a Totalization Agreement with Mexico would allow millions of illegal Mexican workers to draw hundreds of billions of dollars from the U.S. Social Security Trust Fund.  The Agreement between the U.S. and Mexico was signed in June 2004, and is awaiting President Bush's signature.  Many critics believe he intends to sign it shortly after the 2006 mid-term elections.  Once President Bush approves the Agreement, which would be done without Congressional vote, either the House or Senate would have only 60 legislative days to stop it from taking effect by voting to reject it.

The U.S. currently has 21 totalization agreements in effect with other nations, which are intended to eliminate dual taxation for persons who work outside their native countries.  The agreements are with nations having economies similar to that of the U.S.   But Mexico's retirement system is radically different, since only 40 percent of non-government workers participate, as opposed to 96 percent of America's workers. In addition, the U.S. system is progressive, meaning lower wage earners get back much more than they put in.  But in Mexico, workers get back only what they put in, plus accrued interest.

Adding millions of illegal Mexicans to our Social Security system would mean our retirement program would run out of money even sooner than already predicted and trigger benefit cuts for citizens who earned their benefits legally.  We encourage each and every one of you to contact your Members of Congress and ask that they act to stop the Totalilzation Agreement with Mexico from taking effect.

Sources: "Coordinated Approach To SSN Data Could Help Reduce Unauthorized Work," statement of Barbara Bovbjerg, Government Accountability Office, February 16, 2006, GAO-06-458T.  Statement of Patrick O’Carroll, Inspector General, Social Security Administration Before the House Subcommittee On Social Security, March 2, 2006.

October 2006