Trump Administration Ends Automatic Social Security Registration for Newborns in Maine
As President Donald Trump’s second term unfolds, a wave of executive decisions under his New Order is reshaping federal policies. One of the latest casualties? The long-standing practice of automatically assigning Social Security numbers to newborns in Maine hospitals.
Parents in the state will now be required to visit Social Security Administration (SSA) field offices in person to apply for their child’s number—a shift that many see as an unnecessary bureaucratic burden rather than a step toward efficiency. The move, reportedly linked to Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by billionaire Elon Musk, raises critical questions about the administration’s approach to governance.
A Quiet but Disruptive Policy Change
For decades, new parents across the U.S. could simply check a box on hospital paperwork to enroll their child in the “Enumeration at Birth” program, streamlining Social Security registration. But in Maine, that option has been abruptly revoked. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) confirmed that the SSA had canceled two contracts supporting the program, forcing parents to navigate an entirely new process.
SSA has offered no public justification for the change. The White House has remained silent. Yet internal sources suggest that the decision is part of Musk’s broader government downsizing experiment, which has already seen numerous federal contracts axed.
“This is a reckless attempt at cost-cutting, and families will pay the price,” said a senior official within SSA, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The Role of Trump’s “New Order” in Reshaping Bureaucracy
The termination of Maine’s Social Security contracts aligns with Trump’s New Order, a term gaining traction as his administration aggressively restructures federal agencies. With Musk’s DOGE at the helm, government contracts are being reassessed—and often eliminated—without clear public oversight.
DOGE’s website lists six states and territories where similar Social Security enrollment contracts have been scrapped. However, Maine is not among them, raising suspicions that the move was either a miscalculated bureaucratic maneuver or an intentional experiment to gauge public reaction.
Documents obtained by The Washington Post suggest that DOGE operatives may have targeted specific state contracts related to race and ethnicity data collection, viewing them as part of a “DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) agenda.” If this theory holds, the policy shift may not just be about efficiency, but about political ideology creeping into government operations.
What This Means for Families
The immediate impact is clear: parents in Maine will now have to take time off work, arrange travel, and wait in long lines at Social Security offices—an unnecessary burden for many, especially low-income families. The change could also delay access to critical benefits like healthcare and child tax credits.
“New parents are exhausted, overwhelmed, and now they have to deal with this? It’s senseless,” said a local healthcare worker who previously assisted families with hospital paperwork.
Could Other States Be Next?
While Maine is currently the focal point, experts warn that this could be a test case for a nationwide rollback of automatic Social Security enrollment. If DOGE and the Trump administration deem the Maine experiment “successful” in reducing government involvement, other states could soon face similar disruptions.
Congressional Democrats have already called for immediate hearings on the matter, demanding transparency from SSA and the White House.
“Government efficiency should mean making life easier for people—not forcing parents to jump through more hoops,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren in a statement.
Trump’s Vision: Deregulation or Dysfunction?
The New Order of Donald Trump promises to “cut through red tape” and reduce government waste, but critics argue that it is sowing confusion and chaos instead. With SSA enrollment now tangled in bureaucracy, many are asking: is this true efficiency, or just a political statement at the expense of ordinary Americans?
For now, families in Maine are left to navigate the fallout—one that may soon extend far beyond their state.
Ваш комментарий будет первым