Proposal 5

Social Security Contribution Compliance Program

Stability for retirement systems and accountability for participants

The United States currently manages a large population that resides within the country but outside formal participation systems. These individuals often work, consume goods, and interact with the economy, yet their relationship with federal structures remains incomplete because legal classification pathways do not match their circumstances.

The Social Security Contribution Compliance Program proposes a regulatory alternative: instead of attempting to retroactively categorize long-term presence, the government may establish a forward-looking compliance structure. Under this model, participants maintain lawful monitored presence through verified work activity and a fixed monthly Social Security contribution.

The program does not create residency, citizenship eligibility, or permanent immigration classification. It establishes accountability, identity recognition, and fiscal participation — converting unmanaged presence into supervised contribution while strengthening the financial base of retirement systems.

The Structural Gap in the Current System

The immigration system categorizes individuals primarily by entry and admission classifications. However, over time, a significant group remains physically present without fitting existing administrative pathways.

They may:

Work intermittently
Pay some taxes indirectly
Remain for extended periods
Lack a functional reporting mechanism

This produces three consequences

Untracked labor participation
Incomplete tax integration
Continuous enforcement burden without resolution

Traditional enforcement alone does not remove long-term presence at scale, and permanent immigration pathways cannot realistically absorb all unresolved cases. The system therefore maintains a prolonged unresolved category — neither fully outside nor fully inside administrative oversight.

The Social Security Contribution Compliance Program addresses this gap by establishing a regulated participation category focused on measurable compliance rather than retrospective eligibility.

Core Program Mechanism

Participants voluntarily enroll in a monitored compliance framework.

Requirements

Identity verification and biometric registration
Clean criminal background screening
Continuous tax reporting compliance
Monthly contribution of $200 to the Social Security Trust Fund
Active employment or verifiable contract work

In exchange, the participant receives a renewable employment compliance authorization valid for five years.

Key characteristics

Not permanent residence
Not citizenship eligible
Not a visa classification
Not family sponsorship eligible

It is an administrative compliance registration. The monthly contribution functions as a structured participation obligation — similar to an insurance premium for remaining in a regulated monitored category.

The authorization continues only while compliance continues.

Fiscal Impact and Retirement System Stability

The Social Security system depends on active contributors supporting beneficiaries. Demographic changes have reduced the ratio of workers to retirees, placing increasing pressure on long-term sustainability.

This program introduces a new contributor base without altering eligibility for benefits. Participants contribute but do not automatically qualify for retirement benefits unless they later enter an existing statutory pathway independently.

One-direction fiscal reinforcement

Contributions flow into the system
Benefit eligibility remains unchanged

Projected effects

Expanded contributor pool
Predictable monthly revenue stream
Reduced off-books labor economy
Improved payroll reporting accuracy

Because participation requires verified work activity, contributions correspond to real economic productivity rather than theoretical projections.

Compliance Incentives and Enforcement Efficiency

The program strengthens enforcement not by increasing penalties, but by increasing incentives for lawful reporting.

Participants gain

Identity documentation
Work authorization recognition
Reduced uncertainty
Ability to interact with institutions transparently

Government gains

Continuous monitoring
Address reporting reliability
Financial participation verification
Reduced investigative workload

Non-compliance results in automatic termination of authorization, restoring standard enforcement eligibility. This produces self-regulation: individuals maintain compliance to retain authorization, and authorities focus on deliberate violations rather than unknown populations.

The system shifts from reactive enforcement to monitored participation.

Economic and Social Effects

Formalizing long-term presence produces measurable economic clarity.

Employers

Gain workforce predictability

Workers

Gain lawful participation

Government

Gains reporting accuracy

Communities

Gain reduced informal labor dependency

The program also prevents displacement of existing lawful immigration categories because it does not grant permanent status advantages. It functions separately from visa allocation systems.

The monthly contribution additionally creates a visible connection between participation and national retirement support, reinforcing the principle that presence carries responsibility.

Data & Evidence

Contributions to Social Security

ITEP, SSA, and CBO data on tax contributions by unauthorized immigrants.

$25.7B

SS taxes paid (2022)

$2.15T

Cumulative ESF wages (1937–2022)

14M

Unauthorized population (2023 record)

Annual Tax Contributions (2022)

Earnings Suspense File (ESF)

$2.15 trillion in cumulative wages and 405.4 million wage items since 1937

SSA Inspector General: "the chief cause of wage items being posted to the [ESF] is unauthorized work by noncitizens"

Unauthorized Workers and Benefits Gap

Population estimates and the one-directional fiscal flow.

Year	Population	Workers	Share of Workforce
2022	11.0M	8.3M	~5% of all workers
2023	14.0M (record)	9.7M	~5.6% of all workers

One-Direction Fiscal Flow

$13B

Contributions IN

→

~$1B

Benefits OUT

$12B net annual contribution — SSA Actuarial Note 151

If authorized: tax contributions would rise by $40.2B/year to $136.9B total — ITEP (2024)

Trust Fund Solvency Impact

Projections on Social Security sustainability and mixed-status family data.

2035

Projected trust fund exhaustion

11%

Shortfall reduction from +400K immigrants

$348B

Projected SS contributions 2024–2034 (CBO)

Mixed-Status Families

16.2 million people live in a mixed-status family — MPI

6.1 million U.S. citizen children with at least one undocumented parent

5.5 million citizens/green card holders file taxes with an undocumented family member using ITIN

1.7 million citizens/LPRs file jointly with an undocumented spouse

The Social Security Contribution Compliance Program is not an amnesty, not a legalization pathway, and not a replacement for immigration law. It is a regulatory participation framework that transforms unmanaged long-term presence into monitored contribution.

Instead of leaving a large population outside administrative visibility, the government gains identity certainty, fiscal contribution, and compliance leverage. Participants gain recognition only while fulfilling measurable obligations.

The result is a system that replaces ambiguity with accountability — strengthening both immigration administration and retirement program sustainability without altering statutory immigration limits.