States Forced to Confront Own Complicity in Enabling Undocumented Immigration The US Department of Justice's recent reversal of a 30 year old policy has left many wondering what this means for states' relationships with undocumented immigrants and their own role in enabling this complex issue.
The new opinion, which reverses the 1998 interpretation that confined reporting requirements to specific state agencies administering welfare programs, requires states taking federal money through support schemes like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to report undocumented immigrants across their entire government.
The debate among lawmakers and advocacy groups has been heated.