WASHINGTON, Sept 2 - The U.S. Justice Department warned that states risk losing billions of dollars in welfare funding if they do not report all immigrants known to state agencies who are in the country illegally, according to a legal opinion released on Wednesday.
In a major shift that would increase pressure on states to comply with the administration's immigration crackdown, the DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel said all states that receive funding for two key welfare programs must report people unlawfully present in the U.S. to the Department of Homeland Security.
