The U.S. Justice Department has warned states they could lose billions of dollars in welfare funding if they fail to report immigrants known to state agencies who are in the country illegally.
The warning, issued on Wednesday by the DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel, marks a significant expansion of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts.
Under the new interpretation, states receiving funding for two major welfare programmes must report people unlawfully present in the U.S. to the Department of Homeland Security.
Previously, the requirement applied only to agencies directly administering the programmes. The new guidance could extend it to other state agencies that may have information about immigrants, including universities and departments of motor vehicles.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Joshua Craddock said failure to comply could result in the loss of federal funding.
The programmes include Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Supplemental Security Income. Federal TANF grants exceed $16.5 billion a year, while federal SSI benefits total more than $60 billion.
Immigrants without legal status are not eligible for either programme.
The opinion is not law but is binding on federal agencies. It could face legal challenges from Democratic-led states, several of which have already challenged the administration's efforts to expand access to personal information held by state agencies.
At least 19 states and Washington, D.C., allow immigrants without lawful status to obtain driver's licences, while some state universities also admit such students, potentially giving state agencies access to information about millions of people without legal immigration status.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that more than 8,000 North Korean troops are currently in Russia, with preparations under wa...
Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are warning that gaps in contact tracing and continued deaths outside treatment centre...
Hurricane Polo closed in on Mexico's Baja California Sur on Monday evening, threatening its Pacific coastline ...
Iran has called for a diplomatic solution after U.S. President Donald Trump rejected its Hormuz proposal, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was awaiting a definitive U.S. response through mediators.
A Russian guided aerial bomb has struck an apartment building in Kharkiv, injuring 22 people, including children, according to the city’s mayor. The strike follows a day of near-continuous Russian attacks across Ukraine that killed at least five people.
British police have arrested five men on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act after a major security incident was declared near RAF Fairford, a British air base used by U.S. air forces in Gloucestershire, England.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 28 September 2026. These are the top stories making headlines in technology.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has arrived in Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on bilateral ties and key regional and international developments, Saudi state news agency SPA reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that more than 8,000 North Korean troops are currently in Russia, with preparations under way to send another 10,000.
Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are warning that gaps in contact tracing and continued deaths outside treatment centres are contributing to a renewed rise in Ebola transmission, as the country’s latest outbreak passes 8,000 confirmed cases.
Hurricane Polo closed in on Mexico's Baja California Sur on Monday evening, threatening its Pacific coastline with destructive wind, flash floods and a storm surge before crossing the peninsula and making a second landfall on the mainland.
The European Union's decision to simultaneously advance accession talks with Ukraine, Moldova, Montenegro and Albania marks its most ambitious enlargement effort in more than two decades.
Taxpayer-funded television advertisements featuring U.S. President Donald Trump are drawing criticism from Republicans and Democrats while legal experts question whether public money can be used for spots resembling campaign messaging ahead of the midterm elections.
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