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No, thats fraud. But fraud that results in a net gain is better then fraud that results in a net loss, that is just plain ol common sense.

You would be naive to think that what we are seeing in such a situation is a net gain. But from reading your earlier statements on this matter, it seems to me that you are not naive so much as you are being deliberately misleading.

Let's look at the broad picture. The amount of money that those illegals who are being paid above the table put into Social Security is trivial compared to the cost in social services that they incur (emergency room care, public housing assistance, welfare, etc.). Those who are paid under the table pay no taxes, and still tend to incur the same costs as above. That is a net loss either way.

Now, if we were to view false payments into Social Security as being benign, you have to first remember that the identity fraud these people are perpetrating is what enables them to remain here and incur the costs above. If they had no jobs, they could not stay here and in many cases, the use of the fake SSNs allows them to have the job, albeit with a probable wink and nod from the employer. If we were to crack down on SSN/identity fraud, those jobs would go away and we would have a net benefit to us. In addition to that, the need for SSNs that the illegal presence perpetuates creates a market for stolen SSNs, which motivates criminals to steal them. If a criminal is going to steal your SSN, you would be a fool to think that he would limit his use of the SSN to mere illegal employment.

Finally we should remember that all the while, Congress and the President are doing there best to include llegals as recipients under the Social Security program. They haven't quite succeeded yet, but they keep trying. In order to justify that effort, they often point to the paying into the system of the current crop of illegals.