DOGE Blames Biden Migration For Medicaid Surge, Voting Violations

DOGE official Antonio Gracias claims that 1.3 million migrants who entered the U.S. during President Biden’s term are now on Medicaid, with thousands appearing on voter rolls across multiple states – some of whom allegedly voted in the 2024 presidential election.

Key Takeaways

DOGE officials claim 1.3 million migrants who entered under Biden are now receiving Medicaid benefits, with the number expected to increase.
Antonio Gracias alleges thousands of migrants are registered to vote in certain states, with some having voted in the 2024 election, despite non-citizens being ineligible to vote in federal elections.
The process for migrants to obtain Social Security numbers involves filing asylum applications and work authorization forms, without requiring identification verification.
Claims that DOGE discovered $2.7 trillion in improper Medicaid and Medicare payments overseas have been rated false by fact-checkers.
Critics argue the issue represents a strategic political effort while officials maintain the findings highlight governance vulnerabilities.

DOGE’s Medicaid Findings and Voter Roll Concerns

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), established by President Trump and led by Elon Musk, has become the center of controversy with recent claims about migrants’ access to federal benefits and voter registration. Antonio Gracias, a DOGE official, has stated that their investigation found 1.3 million migrants who entered the United States during former President Biden’s administration are currently receiving Medicaid benefits, with that number “just starting” to increase.

“We mapped this through the benefit programs, we found every benefits program that is being accessed by these people, 1.3 million are on Medicaid right now, today. And by the way, it’s just ramping up, it’s just starting,” said Antonio Gracias.

More alarmingly, Gracias claims DOGE discovered thousands of migrants on voter rolls in what he described as “friendly states,” with evidence suggesting some had already voted in the 2024 presidential election. This assertion raises significant concerns about election integrity, though voting by non-citizens in federal elections is illegal and punishable by deportation and incarceration.

How Migrants Obtain Documentation

According to DOGE officials, migrants can obtain Social Security numbers through a process that begins when they receive Notices to Appear (NTAs). These notices allow migrants to remain in the U.S. with what Gracias called a “quasi-legal status” while awaiting immigration court dates, which currently average around six years. During this waiting period, migrants can file asylum applications and work authorization forms that lead to the issuance of Social Security cards.

“So now you’re in the country with some quasi-legal status, you’re waiting for your court date, while you’re waiting for your court date — six years is the average by the way, it could be longer than that — you can fill out an asylum application, so without an interview, just an application … once that application is in, you can file another form, a 765 [form] to get work authorization, once you get that, you get a 766 which is the authorization and we automatically send you a Social Security card in the mail. No interview, that is the majority of the growth you see in these numbers,” Antonio Gracias explained.

Gracias expressed particular concern about the lack of fingerprinting for approximately one-quarter of the migrants reviewed in their investigation. More troubling, he claimed that among those migrants now on Medicaid, some have criminal records or match individuals on the federal government’s Terrorist Watch List.

Dispelling Misinformation

While DOGE’s claims about migrants on Medicaid and voter rolls have garnered attention, it’s important to separate these from other circulating claims that have been proven false. Social media posts asserting that DOGE or a congressional subcommittee discovered $2.7 trillion in improper Medicare and Medicaid payments sent overseas have been debunked by fact-checkers. The $2.7 trillion figure actually refers to all improper payments reported by federal agencies since 2003, across various programs, not limited to healthcare or overseas recipients.

#FactCheck: "News of a different federal agency uncovering $2.7 trillion in problematic federal payments predated Trump’s November 2024 reelection," much less the start of the DOGE operations.#PolitiFact https://t.co/YGcH76fEgK

— David Forrest (@NewsForrest) February 26, 2025

Immigration experts have also challenged broader narratives about Biden’s immigration policies being designed to create new voters. Michelle Mittelstadt of the Migration Policy Institute has pointed out that the path to citizenship, which is required for voting in federal elections, is lengthy: “It takes on average five years in green card status before a person can become a U.S. citizen, so no one would instantly gain the right to vote.”

Political Implications

Gracias has suggested that the inclusion of migrants on voter rolls may be part of a broader political strategy, pointing to California’s political evolution following the 1986 amnesty program as an example of how immigration policies can transform a state’s political landscape. Critics counter that Biden’s administration actually increased immigration enforcement during the election year and implemented policies that limited asylum applications at the southwest border, actions inconsistent with a “voter importation” strategy.

The Department of Government Efficiency’s findings continue to fuel debate about the intersection of immigration policy, public benefits, and electoral integrity as President Trump’s administration evaluates and addresses these reported issues. American taxpayers and voters on both sides of the political spectrum are closely watching how these claims are verified and addressed.