My brother in law was deported in 1997. He recently asked me if it would be possible for him to file for social social security from Mexico, now that he is age 66.

Hi. Your brother in law can certainly apply for U.S. Social Security benefits, but I don't if he'll qualify to actually be paid benefits. Social Security benefits are normally prohibited by law from being paid to someone who has been deported (https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0302635001).

Instructions for applying for benefits while living outside the U.S. can be found on the following Social Security website: https://www.ssa.gov/foreign/foreign.htm#Macau.

Best, Jerry