The Justice Department has issued an important ruling requiring states to follow the legislated rule of reporting illegal aliens who receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). This rule can substantially alter the nature of financial support programs currently taking place with federal funds. [Full Press Release] [Full Opinion]
The Office of Legal Counsel has issued a legal opinion clarifying that when a state chooses to participate in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs, all agencies within that state — not only those that administer TANF or SSI benefits — must report individuals known to be not lawfully present in the United States to The Dept of Homeland Security. {citation}
DOJ Press Release: […] “Congress wrote this requirement plainly,” said Assistant Attorney General T. Elliot Gaiser of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel. “When a state chooses to participate in TANF, it accepts the obligation to report illegal aliens in the United States. Tax dollars intended to help vulnerable Americans should not perversely encourage illegal entry into the United States, but rather should reinforce our laws and our borders.”
“Our clarification does not impose new obligations on states,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Joshua Craddock of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel and author of the opinion. “It simply restores the original meaning of the statute Congress enacted and ensures that DHS receives the information it is legally entitled to. States that accept TANF funding must abide by federal law, and failure to comply may lead to serious consequences, including loss of program funding.”
The Office withdrew a Clinton-era opinion from 1998 that construed the reporting requirement much more narrowly. Under that prior interpretation, only the specific state agencies administering TANF or SSI were required to provide information to federal immigration authorities. All fifty states, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories currently participate in TANF and SSI, and federal TANF funding grants exceed $16.4 billion annually.
The Office of Legal Counsel’s Sept. 1 opinion explains that Congress defined “State” broadly in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. As a result, when a state accepts federal TANF or SSI funds, the entire state government — including all component agencies — is bound by federal law to share information with DHS about individuals the state knows to be not lawfully present.
The opinion applies prospectively. States will not face retroactive penalties for past reliance on the 1998 interpretation. Federal agencies may rely on OLC’s advice to update TANF and SSI grant agreements and compliance processes to reflect the correct legal standard moving forward. (SOURCE)
Lawfare in T-3, T-2, T-1, …
Rinse and repeat! SO fed up with law-fare shenanigans!
Many feel the same way. As long as we have Democrats fighting for illegals to be in the country so they can stay in power, we’re going to have lawfare.
As long as there’s too many lawyers we’ll have lawfare. Think about it: lawyers write the laws that lawyers interpret so that lawyers can be necessary in every aspect of life.
Eff lawfare!
and the horse it rode in on!
Those schmucks in robes need a good old fashioned Scroll Tud!
Not to mention the arrogant Black Robed District Court Judges with a superiority complex!
Exactly, I’m sure somebody is judge shopping.
I cannot wait to see some handpicked liberal judge tell the executive branch that a law Congress wrote many years ago is now illegal.
Good! Not legally in the U.S.? That should mean no U.S. legal citizen tax dollars…FOR ANYTHING.
Perfect! Does this mean I can get in the checkout line at the grocery store and not be surrounded by illegal invaders with carts full of expensive food they pay for with SNAP cards? Or, is that a different rip-off scam the leftist states push?
Also the illegal is always pregnant with the snap card.
Not sure what Temporary Assistance (to) Needy Families includes other than cash but most of them get it and brag about in NY. It’s bad enough when citizens cheat the system….but illegals and refugees…they’re draining law abiding Americans dry!
The Dems gave them incentive to invade America with Welfare, then encouraged them to vote Dem as they handed out drivers licenses, phones and other free-stuff. Dem judges and politicians were total Crickets the whole time for good reason! Highways have become killing zones, schools are chaotic, hospitals are like war-zones, Governors like Pritzker are “sweeping funds” for money and the Legislators are not saying a word. Food costs are sky-rocketing because 40+ MILLION GET THEIR FOOD FOR FREE, BECAUSE YOU PAY, NOT THEM!
So the Dems are running Socialists claiming the cost of living is too high! And we refuse to organize! Really!
Except a bus or plane ticket back to their country of origin…..and a sandwich.
Hold the sandwich.
Some history for those who maintain that California gets what it deserves-
In 1996-7 under Republican Governor, Pete Wilson, Californians voted affirmatively on proposition 187.
Prop 187 barred illegal aliens from receiving ANY state funds.
That’s when the paid “Activists” began showing up and calling all the Republicans “Racists”.
CA Republicans were mortified to be defined as racists.
The Republicans collectively managed to roll over and play dead, and before long Prop. 187 was history.
The people of CA overwhelmingly supported banning any govt. support for illegals.
We did not get what we voted for.
In 2006 a city in OC CA made a deal with the feds to have an ice agent stationed in its jail to screen inmates,
and to remand Illegals over to ICE for deportation. Many cities across the state and nation followed suit.
Eventually the dems achieved a monolithic presence in CA govt. and they set up a “Sanctuary State”.
As part of this, CA cities were barred from cooperating with ICE.
Again, we did not get what we voted for.
With ICE cooperation, the original city did manage to ship out 1300 troublemakers from 33 countries over 3 years, so we did get that at least.
This was 30 years ago and nothing has ever been done about it?
Loss of funding?? How about prosecution and jail time?
While prosecutions and jail time is important, I think that I would rather see them fail to comply and lose their funding. No money mean no fraud and skimming. It also turns off the spigot to another welfare magnet for foreigners who are here LEGALLY but are mooching off of the system.
The rules apply to ILLEGALS but, apparently, legal foreigners are still able to participate even though they and their sponsor swore that they would be self sufficient and not rely on government handouts.
I agree – I would LOVE to see ALL of these programs shut down with only aid going to lawful, legal citizens!
I’ve worked for 65 years, paid into every social program (forced to pay into) the scumbag politicians in DC dreamed up to take my money from me, and received NOTHING back. And now the scumbag politicians have spent all our money on people who shouldn’t be getting it, they are preparing to rip us off again!
ENOUGH!
One step at a time.
Give ’em time to self-deport.
I hear ya, but money seems to talk louder, imho.
Now make a legislative rule illegals get no money from the gov’t whatsoever.
Just like back in the day, and people had to have a sponsor, and swear not to become a drag on society!
If Blue states are required to report illegals “the state knows to be not lawfully present” they are going to take every step possible to make sure they do NOT know. (officially at least) That’s their loophole.
They are going to ban ID checks, ban any questions about citizenship, ban anything that might reveal who is illegal.
The Social Security of ITIN will most likely be required as part of the audit. ITINs are what illegals use.
That is already being done in CA…LA I believe.
“the state knows to be not lawfully present” should immediately be changed to ““the state knows, or should know, to be not lawfully present”
BFT!
Thank you, Sundance!
All Aboard the Deport Bus!!
If the states refuse to report, Cut the Federal money to them.
There’s no such thing as a free lunch.
😉
Trump is building the legal case for a National Security Emergency in the voting arena, Social Services, and Immigration arena’s.
The question is whether he will drop that bomb before the election or wait and get criminal evidence in the voting area.
Thank you, leo. This is my hope, too.
Wondering outloud, how many years longer would SS stay above water if all the fraud and illegals were eliminatedfrom the system?
After all,lots of illegal aliens and fraudster americans contribute Nothing to the SS coffers.
I personally despise the SS system, but since l was forced at gunpoint to contribute out of my paycheck all those years, now l want all my money back PLUS INTEREST!
Social Security is blatantly unconstitutional. It should never have been signed into law and should be discontinued. However, Congress will never do away with it. Still, what should happen is that Congress votes to replace all SS funds that have been illegally stolen from it and the total of all funds remaining should be divided amongst all current enrollees according to the amount they have personally paid into the fund.
Anyone who has never paid into it should get nothing…
CONgress has been stealing from the SS “lockbox” since the mid 1960s.
Right. Which is why I said Congress should vote to replace all SS funds that have been illegally stolen from it…
What really angers me is that I have paid into the system in good faith for over 40 years, and the government has not only taken half of what I have ever earned (if you include fees for registering a vehicle, environmental regulations that push up the price of fuel, higher costs of everything due to regulation and compliance, etc.) they have spent nearly a third more than they get in revenue every year. Now, the government collects 5 trillion in revenue and spends 7 trillion.
Most federal spending is medicare, medicaid and social security, but a significant amount of that expenditure is fraud (nearly 1/3 by some pessimistic estimates). The US has also spent well over 30 trillion on “the war on poverty” to an overall effect of … well … zero. It taught people not to work.
I want my money back. And I especially want it back from those who got it by fraud.
The volume of illegals is a whole lot lower than the volume of elderly parents brought here under “family reunification” chain migration.
Those legal chain migrants are immediately enrolled in every SS/Medicare program.
Blue states breaking federal law….imagine that.
The laws are already there in most cases…..deport with extreme prejudice just like when you find ticks crawling up your leg.
Viva Re-migration!
The alternative is Repatriation.
Removal is the humane option.
‘Bout time!
Good luck enforcing this. Our governments (all levels) are corrupt and totally out of control. Look at the all the fraud that has been discovered to date by either this administration or citizen investigators. It’s likely just the tip of the iceberg. You are asking, essentially, the governments responsible to either ignoring or promulgating the fraud to enforce this new ruling. Good luck with that. I’m glad the DOJ is trying but I’m not confident.
The people in state government who administer these programs are rich in DEI. Just make a phone call to one of these agencies and I promise you will get LaQuisha on the other end.
Personally, I would like to see ANYONE who is NOT a citizen kicked off of TANF and SSI immediately! There is no reason that anyone should be able to bring in family members on any type of VISA and then sign them up for ANY benefits that are paid for by the US taxpayer!
If one person comes over on an H1B and works for five years, they can get a green card, and then apply to bring in their wife, their elderly parents and their wife’s elderly parents. All four of them them get signed up for SSI at +/- 1000 per month, plus Medicaid, plus food stamps…all while they are living in their Son/SIL’s house, which enables them to buy a larger house, thus driving up the home prices for the American 30 somethings who cannot afford to live in the cities where they grew up!
Fact check: True.
I have personally witnessed this. Bring parents over and as soon they turn 65 they get Medicare & because they have no income, Medicaid pays the Medicare premium & copays. Now these people do not get Social Security because they never worked here but Medicare law needs to be changed to only those who worked & paid & for those that can’t work, must be native born in the US not naturalized citizens.
They do not get Social Security but they DO get SSI (Supplemental Security Income) which is, essentially, a monthly stipend to augment the cost of living for low income seniors. Even those who never worked in the US a day in their lives…(around $1,000 per month, per person)
This is wrong in every sense of the word! A low income American, who does not have enough money to pay for their basic necessities is one thing, but NO ONE who is brought to this country under family reunification policies should EVER receive one dime of public money – period!!
I am married to the son of legal immigrants and when his parents came here, from war torn Europe, they were required to sign documents that they would NEVER be eligible for any type of benefits that they had not earned! They left their family behind and only saw them again a handful of times, at their own expense. I don’t know when the policies changed but they need to be returned to the way they were!!!
Well, on the bright side, maybe we can tie up so many lawyers fighting every issue that we flood the zone. Choke the court system out. It is already disfunctional.
Surely everyone can see that the greatest enemy of the United States and the American people are the Democrats?
Surely.
Deeply embedded bureaucrats, but I suppose they are the same thing.
I wish it were so, but it’s not
As the old saying goes, “There are none so blind as those that refuse to see.” And we’ve got a whole bunch of blind mf’ers out there. Very blind.
Are you new here?
The Democrat Party: Screwing America since 1828.
It’s not like CONgress will ever turn the spigot off.
They clearly intend to drive the 🤡 🚗 off the cliff.
“…individuals the state KNOWS to be not lawfully present…”
There’s the loophole they will exploit.
I can see it now.
“We didn’t KNOW it. Their status of ‘not lawfully present’ was never ADJUDICATED, so we didn’t KNOW anything”
…and they will vehemently oppose EVERY EFFORT to determine the legal status of the people they give MY tax dollars to!. Willful blindness.
During the Clinton era I saw the billboards about applying for benefits & no questions asked as to residency status. Apply, apply, apply for social programs & we won’t ask you anything.
Deport, deport, deport.
America, for our children and grandchildren, not for illegals.
All illegals must go home. They are welcome to apply, follow our laws and proceed on the merits.
Bum-rushing a country’s open borders doesn’t count as legal.
If they don’t self deport, ban them, forever.
Shut off the damn financial spigot and keep deporting.
“Individuals KNOWN to be…” Wonder if States can claim no to know who is here illegally?
Chuck Schumer admitted that if the “Save Act” were passed, Democrats would be out of power for the foreseeable future. They NEED illegals here as potential voters; it’s as simple as that. If Americans are willing to accept that, then American Citizenship means NOTHING!
Well what do you know. You have a lien on the US Treasury, maybe we need to know who you are. This is not rocket science.
A certain % of the people assisting immigrants (legal and illegal) are making a living off of helping the immigrants.
If that money were to dry up, those people would be out of a job.
There is an entire immigrant industry that collectively is bringing people into this country.
AI Overview
Prior to 1900, people who helped immigrants typically made $0 per year because they were unpaid volunteers, whereas in 2026, professionals in this field earn average salaries ranging from $51,000 to over $93,000 per year depending on their specific role. [1, 2, 3]
The Pre-1900 Era: Unpaid Charitable Reformers
Before 1900, formalized government immigration assistance did not exist, and “social work” was not yet a paid profession. [1, 2]
The 2026 Landscape: Specialized Paid Professionals
In 2026, helping immigrants is a highly formalized sector spanning legal defense, case management, and government administration.
Current average annual salaries in the United States include:
Role2026 Average Annual SalaryPrimary ResponsibilitiesImmigration Lawyer$93,655Handles visa applications, deportation defense, and citizenship legalities.Immigration Staff Attorney$82,500Works for non-profits or legal aid societies providing low-cost defense.Asylum Officer$60,718Government official interviewing refugees to determine legal eligibility.Immigration Caseworker$51,464Coordinates housing, employment, language classes, and social services.
(Note: Data sourced from 2026 employment indices compiled by platforms like Indeed and Salary.com). [1, 2]
If you are exploring careers in this field, I can provide information on educational requirements for these roles, or share top metropolitan areas where immigration professionals are in the highest demand. Which would be most helpful?
Blue state governors will ignore everything until they recognize there is no federal money coming in.
Then, it will be lawsuit after lawsuit.
I haven’t posted here in a long time. I have been too busy trying to live as good of a life as possible while it is still possible. I must say I am very let down by the lack of meaningful action on removing the tens of millions of foreign invaders from our country. The cost have living has gotten worse. We’re in another forever war. Food, housing and utility prices are still horrible. I feel like im on vacation in a third world country when I go to a grocery store. I am ready to just quit working and funding this nightmare.