DOJ expands funding condition: states must report undocumented residents

The Justice Department’s new interpretation says that when states take federal funds for low‑income programs like TANF and SSI, they must report individuals not lawfully present in the U.S. to DHS, and this reporting duty would extend to all state agencies, not just benefit administration. The move, aimed at advancing mass deportation policies, is likely to trigger court challenges from states and revisits a Clinton‑era ruling from 1998; states are not retroactively penalized for past reliance but are expected to comply going forward.