When Elon Musk first got involved in Donald Trump’s campaign after the assassination attempt, no one would have predicted just how involved he would become in the Trump administration. At times, Trump even made off-colour comments about the tech titan that suggested Musk might be a little too close for comfort. Now, a recent lawsuit demanding to know exactly what kind of clearances he was granted could inadvertently lead to Musk’s deportation.
The New York Times and journalist Neil Bedi filed a lawsuit against the United States Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency after Musk made several tweets essentially bragging about his security clearances. The publication and journalist are demanding to know the full extent and scope of those clearances, arguing that the information is of public interest.
On Oct. 8, a New York federal judge ordered Musk to submit a two-page list detailing all the clearances he currently holds. However, experts predict that what could get the Tesla CEO into trouble is his vetting process for those clearances. It’s long been rumoured that Musk, who is now a naturalised U.S. citizen, violated his J-1 student visa by working while still on it.
Denaturalisation followed by deportation is extremely rare in the U.S., but the Trump administration has repeatedly suggested that such measures aren’t out of the question when it comes to their mass deportation drive. Investigative journalist Adam Cochran took to Musk’s own platform, X, to explain just how much trouble this ruling could spell for the SpaceX CEO.
According to Cochran, Musk risks losing his clearances at SpaceX if found guilty of fraud during his immigration process — a development that could put his $22 billion government contract at even greater risk than during his earlier feud with the president.
Lmao, Musk could be in real trouble.
— Adam Cochran (adamscochran.eth) (@adamscochran) October 8, 2025
Trump world always forgets using the courts as weapons can compel discovery.
His clearance records could open him up to citizenship issues:
-a security clearance would review when you became a citizen, and require that process was legal… https://t.co/RezDqzv5FE
That feud, brief and predictable as it was, is also relevant here. Despite Musk once accusing Trump of being involved in Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking ring, it seems Trump didn’t take it too seriously. Musk has slowly found his way back into the president’s good graces — albeit with some boundaries this time. So it’s highly likely the administration would find a way to shield Musk from drastic consequences such as deportation.
However, Cochran notes that in this new political landscape shaped in Trump’s image, such protection won’t last forever. Once Trump’s presidency ends and power shifts to someone less enamoured with Musk, these findings could easily be weaponised against him.
Actual deportation for Elon Musk remains unlikely — he is, after all, the wealthiest individual in the world and can afford to drag this out in court indefinitely. Still, a future administration could use the case as justification to strip him of lucrative government contracts, deeming him an untrustworthy figure.
It’s an ironic twist: Elon Musk, one of the biggest cheerleaders and financiers of Trump’s hardline immigration agenda, might soon find himself a victim of the very policies he helped fund.
This situation is still developing, so no one can truly tell how it will end. But don’t be surprised if Musk becomes even more complimentary of Trump in the foreseeable future — his technocrat career may well depend on it.
Published: Oct 9, 2025 04:39 am