MarketPR
A legal opinion released Wednesday by the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel expands which state agencies must report individuals known to be unlawfully present in the United States to the Department of Homeland Security, putting at risk federal funding tied to two major welfare programs.
Federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families grants exceed $16.5 billion annually, and Supplemental Security Income federal benefits exceed $60 billion annually.
All 50 states and the District of Columbia participate in reporting requirements tied to both programs.
What the 1998 reversal means operationally The prior interpretation, issued in 1998 by the same Office of Legal Counsel, confined the reporting obligation to agencies that directly administered the programs.
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