() President Donald Trump said Friday that his new Department of Government Efficiency will not “touch” social security, as the non-government task force continues to be criticized for its attacks on different federal agencies and programs. 

“Social Security will not be touched, it will only be strengthened,” Trump said during a news conference when asked if there are any limits placed on what Elon Musk, who heads DOGE, can examine.

But Trump added that he would “weed out” undocumented people whom he claimed were utilizing the program.

“We have illegal immigrants on Social Security and we’re going to find out who they are and take them off… we’re not going to stand for that.”

Undocumented immigrants are not eligible and cannot collect Social Security benefits, though they often pay taxes that help fund the program.

The president’s statement has been in line with campaign promises he made about social security.

Trump had said he won’t “cut one cent” from Social Security or raise the retirement age. The official Republican Party platform adopted at the Republican National Convention echoed those promises but it has been less clear how Trump plans to shore up the program’s finances.

Since becoming the head of DOGE, Musk has targeted the United States Agency for International Development and the Education Department leading many to fear social security could be next on its hit list. 

Trump, under Musk’s recommendation, ordered USAID funding to be paused for 90 days, and many of the agency’s staff were fired or put on administrative leave, which largely halted the agency’s work.

Musk’s DOGE has also turned on the Education Department, with lawmakers raising concerns about DOGE’s access to internal systems containing personal information on tens of millions of Americans. 

The Associated Press contributed to this story.