Trump administration faced legal challenge from NY Attorney General James over data requests related to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
In a significant move, New York State Attorney General Letitia James, along with a coalition of 20 states and Washington, D.C., has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California [1][2][4]. The lawsuit challenges the Trump administration's demand that states share extensive personal information of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applicants and recipients, including sensitive data such as Social Security numbers, home addresses, recent locations, and immigration statuses.
The lawsuit argues that these demands are illegal because they violate federal and state privacy laws, exceed USDA’s statutory authority, and could result in this sensitive data being used for immigration enforcement, which would harm millions of people relying on food assistance [1][4]. The coalition seeks a court ruling to declare the policy unlawful and to prevent its enforcement, highlighting how the rushed data demands are practically impossible to meet and pose risks of privacy violations and disruption of food aid [2][4].
The move comes amidst concerns that the USDA's demand for SNAP applicant data is based on Trump's March 20 executive order titled "Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos" [3]. The attorneys general argue that the extensive demand for SNAP applicant data will violate residents' privacy, put immigrants at risk, and hinder the ability of states to provide food assistance to those in need [1][4].
Without SNAP, many families in New York may not be able to afford their next meal [5]. The lawsuit follows the Trump administration's decision to slash food benefit funding through the SNAP program, a move that is expected to put many New York families in need on the brink of hunger [2].
The lawsuit is part of Democrats' condemnation of Trump's administration for its recent cuts to SNAP benefits, which serve over 40 million people every year [6]. Bonta noted that the lawsuit is part of a series of lawsuits against the Trump administration for various executive orders and department actions [7].
Historically, states have not shared data with the federal government in the SNAP application process [8]. The attorneys general tried to negotiate with the Trump administration about the demand for data but opted to litigate after failing to reach an agreement [7]. The government demanded that states turn over data including social security numbers and home addresses dating back five years by Wednesday [9].
A group of SNAP recipients, along with a privacy group and a national hunger group, also sued the USDA for privacy violations, asking a federal judge to halt the data collection until the agency complies with federal protocols relating to data collection [10].
As of the latest reports in late July 2025, the case is in its litigation phase seeking judicial intervention to stop the USDA’s enforcement of the data demands [1][4]. The Trump administration has yet to comment on the litigation.
- The lawsuit filed by New York State Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of states against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) over the demand for SNAP applicant data is a significant development in the realm of policy-and-legislation and general-news.
- The lawsuit, which argues that the USDA's data demands are illegal and could lead to privacy violations, is part of a broader effort by Democrats in crime-and-justice and politics to challenge the Trump administration's actions and policies.
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