Great Lakes Wire

A federal court has issued a temporary restraining order blocking the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) from requiring states to submit personal information of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients. The decision comes after Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, along with a coalition of 20 other attorneys general and the state of Kentucky, filed a lawsuit challenging the USDA's demand.

The District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that the USDA cannot force states to provide sensitive data such as home addresses, Social Security numbers, recent locations, and immigration statuses for all SNAP recipients. The court also prevented the USDA from withholding SNAP funding from states that do not comply with its request.

Attorney General Nessel said, “By trying to illegally seize the personal data of more than a million Michigan residents, the Trump Administration attempted to force families into choosing between protecting their personal identifying information that may be shared for any purpose and eating. I am relieved the Court recognized the danger this posed, and I will continue to fight to ensure Michigan families never have to sacrifice their privacy to put food on the table.”

Federal and state laws generally prohibit sharing personally identifying SNAP data except in limited situations. Since January 2020, however, the USDA has asked states for names, dates of birth, addresses, and Social Security numbers for all applicants and recipients. The agency warned that failure to comply could result in cuts to SNAP funding.

This situation placed states in a difficult position: either risk violating privacy laws or lose millions in federal funds used for food assistance programs. In Michigan alone, about 1.4 million people receive SNAP benefits each month—totaling roughly $254 million monthly—to support vulnerable families.

Non-citizens are usually not eligible for SNAP benefits under federal law but can apply on behalf of their citizen children.

The coalition supporting this legal action includes attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin; the District of Columbia; and Kentucky.