SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — More than 200 protesters lined both sides of the street outside the Social Security Administration office in downtown Santa Barbara on Wednesday, joining a nationwide outcry over proposed federal changes they say threaten the future of Social Security services.
The rally, organized by Indivisible Santa Barbara and the Hands Off Our Social Security movement, was one of 58 demonstrations held across 23 states. Protesters gathered outside the SSA field office at 122 W. Figueroa St., where local residents, federal retirees and advocacy leaders voiced alarm over efforts by the Trump administration to downsize the agency.
“This is a collective resistance to the insanity that is going on in our country right now,” said Kristi King, a nurse practitioner and local activist affiliated with both Indivisible and Hands Off. “We’re standing up for the most vulnerable and the most needy population in our country.”
King, along with U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, delivered a 35-page letter to the SSA office. The letter, addressed to Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek and signed by more than 100 congressional Democrats, urged the agency to reverse course on office closures and staffing cuts.
“Social Security is your money. It’s our money,” said Carbajal. “Over 150 individuals on the Central Coast rely on their Social Security monthly checks for Medicaid.”
The demonstration followed recent announcements from the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, outlining plans to reduce the SSA workforce by 12%—approximately 7,000 employees—and shut down six of its 10 regional offices. While the administration said the moves are part of a broader effort to improve efficiency, critics warned of long-term consequences.
Jon “Bowzer” Bauman, president of Social Security Works PAC, delivered the letter alongside Carbajal and told demonstrators the administration’s actions were “the biggest assault on Social Security in the history of the program.”
“Donald Trump and his unelected co-president, Elon Musk, are doing the best they can to destroy the entire Social Security system. And we’re doing the best we can to stop them,” Bauman said.
Carbajal condemned the staffing cuts and praised constituents for speaking out.
“The Trump administration’s attacks on the Social Security Administration threaten the services millions of Americans depend on,” he said. “We must protect these lifelines—not dismantle them.”
Bauman pointed to protest efforts as already having an impact.
“They had 47 offices planned for closure. They have backed off that plan already because of demonstrations like this,” he said.
While the White House has denied any planned cuts to Social Security benefits, many protesters expressed skepticism. King cited concerns not only about payment reductions, but also about broader access to services and job security for federal workers.
“What sparked it today was part of the proposed cuts to people’s checks, the elderly, and the cutbacks in service,” she said. “We got together and just said no.”
Alongside the Santa Barbara protest, a similar demonstration was held outside the SSA office in Santa Maria, where local residents delivered the same letter of protest. Another rally is scheduled for Thursday, May 1, at the Sunken Garden at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse.
“It’s very grassroots,” King said. “But the message is clear: Hands off our Social Security.”
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