CLEARWATER, Fla. – When 66-year-old Jimmy Klass applied for his Social Security retirement payments, he didn’t expect to learn he wasn’t even a citizen of the United States.
But that’s exactly what happened, Klass told News 6.
Recommended Videos
Despite living in the country for over 60 years, Klass said he received a letter from the Social Security Administration in 2020 claiming he hadn’t proven he was a citizen.
“They sent me a letter that said, ‘Oh, you’re eligible,’ you know? Yada-yada-yada. You’ll get your first check the second Wednesday of January 2020,” he explained. “But instead, I got a notification that it was frozen because I hadn’t proven to them that I was here legally. That was their determination.”
Klass’ mother was Canadian, and his paternal grandparents were from Germany. However, his father’s birth certificate shows he was a natural-born U.S. citizen.
As such, Klass believed he had been granted citizenship through his father when he was brought to the U.S. at 2 years old.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
“My dad’s roots were in Brooklyn, New York... And two years into my existence, they decided to load up the truck and move to Beverly, so to speak” he said. “We moved to Tennessee Avenue in Long Island, to be more specific. And we moved into the house next to my grandparents.”
Since then, Klass has lived in the U.S., even receiving a Social Security Card, a driver’s license and a voter registration card.
He told News 6 he was even accepted into the Marine Corps and a position as a police officer, though he ultimately opted for a union job instead.
“I was accepted, but I never took the jobs because I was newly married, had a kid on the way, just bought a house...” he said. “And I have all those documents, as well. I mean, I was accepted everything: photo ID card, I voted here. You know, I acted like a regular citizen. Never, ever, ever came about where I was here illegally, even though Social Security says I didn’t prove it to them. They gave me my Medicare for over a year and a half.”
After getting the news, Klass said he reached out to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services with his documents to prove he is an American.
“I’ve sent all that stuff to USCIS,” he said. “And they still denied me.”
News 6 reached out to USCIS, though the agency declined to comment on Klass’ case.
As a matter of practice, and due to privacy considerations, USCIS does not comment on individual immigration cases, and the agency does not share, confirm, or deny immigration information about specific individuals. We adjudicate each application on a case-by-case basis to determine if it meets all standards required under the law. Applicants receive a written decision in the mail, which fully explains our action and lists any appeal rights.
You may wish to review citizenship laws pertaining to children of U.S. citizens here: https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/learn-about-citizenship/i-am-the-child-of-a-us-citizen.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
What’s worse: Klass explained he’s voted in plenty of federal elections, which means he potentially broke the law.
“Well, nobody showed up at my door to arrest me yet,” he said. “But yeah, technically, if you vote, and you’re illegal — it’s federal charges.”
Because he’s been unable to receive his Social Security payments, Klass told News 6 he’s been spending what money he has to turn the decision around.
“I’ve even been to the Canadian consulate in Miami, all right?” he stated. “I’ve been spending thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars to try to get my money that I paid into Social Security my entire life.”
Now, after going through his savings, he’s been forced to go back to work.
“I even said to them, ‘Well, if you’re not gonna pay me monthly, give me everything that I paid with interest, and we’ll call it a day,” he said. “And they go, ‘Oh, we can’t do that, either.’ I said, ‘Well, what can you do?’”
As a result, Klass has set up a GoFundMe to help cover some of his recent expenses. To donate, click here.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: