California is taking the Trump administration to court again. This time, we will be discussing requests for personal information from USDA’s Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients.
The Trump administration is requesting sensitive recipient data, including Social Security numbers and addresses, dating back to 2020, according to Attorney General Rob Bonta.
Bonta Monday called the “unprecedented” demands “illegal data grabs” and was designed to “steer people away from public aid.”
“Let’s be clear, this request is not about preventing waste, fraud or abuse,” Bonta said. “What threatens vulnerable communities is weaponizing government data.”
SNAP, a food assistance program that offers benefits to low-income families, requires applicants to provide personal information to ensure eligibility. Five million Californians were supported by the program in 2024, according to data from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The program served more than 41 million people nationwide last year.
In May, USDA requested “free access to comprehensive data” from SNAP, confirming that its services are managed “appropriately and legally.” The state was complied until July 30th.
The agency expanded its request to include more personal data points, including recipient immigration status and other household members, according to a privacy impact assessment released Thursday.
The lawsuit, released Monday by Bonta and New York Attorney General Leticia James, alleges that USDA’s actions violate federal privacy laws, fail to meet public comment requirements, exceeds statutory authorities and violates spending clauses.
The other 19 Democratic-led state attorneys generals joined Bonta and James and asked the court to block the agency’s demands. The lawsuit was filed in US District Court for the Northern District of California.
According to USDA data, approximately 273,000 non-citizens in California received support from SNAP in 2022, with 1.4 million non-citizens receiving support nationwide.
This is the state’s 35th 27-week lawsuit against Trump, Bonta said. Earlier in July, California and 19 other states sued the administration for allegedly misusing private Medicaid personal data for immigration enforcement purposes.
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