A Dallas woman battling cancer and kidney disease is set to have her Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits restored after federal officials questioned her citizenship status and halted her payments.
Ramona Rakestraw, 59, said she was left without her primary source of income in October 2025 after the Social Security Administration notified her that her immigration status was under review.
Rakestraw, a lifelong Texan, maintains she is a natural-born U.S. citizen who has never lived outside the country. She told local station Fox 4 that she was born at Parkland Hospital and has never even left Dallas County.
“I’m not an immigrant,” she said. “I’ve never even left Dallas County — let alone the country.”
Benefits halted amid review
According to Rakestraw, the agency informed her in writing that she could no longer receive benefits because she was “not lawfully present in the U.S.”
The decision cut off SSI payments she depended on while undergoing treatment for cancer and managing long-term kidney disease. She had previously received both Social Security income support and Medicare Part B coverage. While her Medicare benefits were later restored, the SSI payments remained suspended.
To resolve the issue, Rakestraw said she provided her birth certificate and government identification to SSA officials at a local office.
Health and financial impact
Rakestraw’s medical history includes a kidney transplant in her early 20s following severe kidney disease. Since then, she has relied heavily on disability benefits to cover living expenses and medical care.
The sudden loss of income, she said, created significant hardship while she was already facing serious health challenges.
Benefits reinstated
After Rakestraw shared her story publicly, Fox 4 contacted the SSA for comment. Due to privacy rules, the agency did not release details about her specific case but indicated staff would follow up with her.
Shortly afterward, reports confirmed that her SSI payments would resume. Officials have not publicly explained why her citizenship status was questioned or why the benefits were initially stopped.
