California and 20 other states are challenging the federal government over a request to hand over personal data from recipients of food assistance. The lawsuit, filed against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, claims the agency is overstepping its authority and putting sensitive information at risk, potentially to support immigration enforcement efforts.
Benefits fraud has proven expensive for U.S. taxpayers. Replacing stolen benefits cost the federal government $102 million in the first quarter of 2025 alone.
States challenge USDA over SNAP data request
California is joined by Democratic attorneys general from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine and Illinois in filing the lawsuit, with New York’s attorney general also helping lead the effort.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking detailed personal information from millions of people enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. To qualify for food assistance, applicants must disclose sensitive details about their income, household and immigration status.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated that, under federal law, this data is intended for use solely for eligibility purposes and should not be shared or repurposed for unrelated federal enforcement.
“This unprecedented demand that states turn over SNAP data violates all kinds of state and federal privacy laws and further breaks the trust between the federal government and the people it serves,” Bonta said in a statement. “The President doesn’t get to change the rules in the middle of the game, no matter how much he may want to. While he may be comfortable breaking promises to the American people, California is not. We will not comply with this illegal demand. We’ll see the President in court.”
USDA asked for five years of personal records
According to the lawsuit, the USDA made the request in May, asking states to turn over five years’ worth of data on SNAP recipients, including home addresses and Social Security numbers. The agency said the information would help prevent fraud and abuse. But California and the other states argue the real goal is to support President Donald Trump’s broader policy agenda, including immigration enforcement.
This marks the second legal challenge to the USDA’s data request. A separate lawsuit, filed earlier by SNAP recipients, a hunger relief group and a privacy watchdog, is still moving forward. In that case, a federal judge recently denied a request to delay the agency’s deadline to collect the data.
The coalition points to the Department of Homeland Security obtaining personal data from both the IRS and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including private medical records tied to Medicaid recipients. California and other states have already filed legal challenges over those actions. Now, they say the USDA’s attempt to collect similar data from SNAP applicants is the latest move in that pattern.
