Bloomberg News’ Supreme Court reporter Greg Stohr is reporting Monday that the Supreme Court has said it will consider letting states prosecute illegal immigrants for identity theft if they use stolen Social Security numbers.

BREAKING: Supreme Court agrees to consider letting states prosecute undocumented immigrants for identity theft if they use someone else’s Social Security number to apply for a job. — Greg Stohr (@GregStohr) March 18, 2019

OK, we’re going to get right to why this is relevant:

To be clear, this is normally an issue handled federally, so they’re considering allowing prosecution at the state level instead — Shemp (@iAmShemp) March 18, 2019

thank you for the clarification — Joe Gabriel Simonson (@SaysSimonson) March 18, 2019

Why would this need to go to the Supreme Court? Is identity theft only a crime for citizens? — Obsolete Certainty (@Obsoletecertain) March 18, 2019

Question is whether identity fraud is exclusively a federal matter (as defined by federal immigration law) or if it can be prosecuted in state court — John Druva (@jdruva41) March 18, 2019

Not sure why they aren't in the first place…. — champion ???? (@SEloveispure) March 18, 2019

Its a federal felony now. This would allow it to also be handle at the state level. — Mouse House (@KimberlyMcInt19) March 18, 2019

And if they’re considering allowing prosecution at the state level … then states are probably considering not prosecuting it as identity theft. Looking at you, California.

Well, duh. That was an obvious one. Sad this had to go to the Supreme Court. — K J Gillenwater (@kjgillenwater) March 18, 2019

“the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act bars state prosecutions based on information contained in the federal I-9 form” @business it is the job of federal prosecutors to pursue these charges. And they do. But Kansas is hoping they can also bring charges. — Thread to Nowhere (@babareep) March 18, 2019

Go Kansas!

And now, all of the people scratching their heads over why this is even a thing:

They will “consider” allowing laws to be enforced. ? — babsdallas (@babsdallas) March 18, 2019

What!? This isn't already a thing? — Txoyster (@Txoyster1) March 18, 2019

This should have been a thing already. Why did we need the Supreme Court to rule on this? — Andrew Livernois (@alivernois10) March 18, 2019

Using someone else's personal identifier number (SSN) seems like a pretty clear case of identity theft! — William Keane (@largebill68) March 18, 2019

It's about time. How about adding opening a bank account. — Stamp (@FSJR1965) March 18, 2019

Curious that wouldn't have been prosecutable for anyone, any place, any time — regardless of immigration status. — Steve Miller (@SteveInOakPark) March 18, 2019

I can’t believe that had to be litigated to any court. — Teeem? (@TexanCat) March 19, 2019

This isn’t already illegal? Mind blown. pic.twitter.com/yYJcyHnj7R — Rita Simmons (@VoiceofRita) March 18, 2019

Like, duh. That's the definition. — Pruitt and Just Do It (@JimmyCWorks) March 18, 2019

Wait… so if I committed identity theft, I'm doing federal time. But if an illegal does it, we have to go all the way to the Supreme Court to have a conversation about *maybe* prosecuting??? Sure, that seems fair. — Stewed Hamm sucks (@StewedHamm) March 19, 2019

Consider how many people don’t even consider it a crime to be in the United States illegally … it would be nice to think states would prosecute identity theft by “undocumented immigrants.”

Illegal immigrants. They have documents, just not the ones that allow them to stay in the U.S. https://t.co/fZEg6KTKJa — Sam Valley (@SamValley) March 18, 2019

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