Black American cancer patient loses SSI after FBI questions her citizenship and accuses her of being an unlawful resident

A Dallas woman, Ramona Rakestraw, is fighting for the return of her Supplemental Security Income (SSI) after the government claimed she is not a natural-born citizen.

Rakestraw, who is battling cancer and kidney disease, says the federal government wrongly terminated her SSI after questioning her U.S. citizenship. Rakestraw is a lifelong Texan who said she relied on SSI payments as her main source of income while undergoing treatment for kidney disease and cancer.

Rakestraw’s benefits were abruptly stopped in October 2025 after the Social Security Administration notified her that her immigration status was under review, she said. Fox 4. However, the Dallas resident says she was born at Parkland Hospital in Dallas and has never lived outside the United States. Furthermore, the 59-year-old claims she never even left Dallas County.

“I’m not an immigrant,” she said. “I’ve never left Dallas County, let alone the country.”

In a letter to Rakestraw, the SSI administration wrote: “We cannot pay you benefits because you are not lawfully present in the US.” Rakestraw provided her birth certificate and government identification to SSA representatives at a local office as part of her effort to resolve the issue.

In her early 20s, Rakestraw battled kidney disease, which led to her receiving a transplant. Since then she has been dependent on benefits. Before her citizenship was in question, she received both Social Security and Medicaid Part B benefits. While she Medicare Part B was later reinstated, but SSI payments remained halted.

After Rakestraw spoke Fox 4, the outlet contacted SSI administration. Due to privacy concerns, no information was provided about her specific complaint, although employees said they would contact her about it. It was then reported that Rakestraw benefits would resume, although there is no word on that why they were rejected in the first place.

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