❓WHAT HAPPENED: New York Attorney General Letitia James is leading a lawsuit against the Trump administration over demands for state data on food stamp recipients to help track illegal immigrants.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Letitia James, California AG Rob Bonta, Michigan AG Dana Nessel, and 20 Democratic attorneys general versus the Trump administration.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The lawsuit was announced Monday, with a deadline set for July 30 for data submission.
💬KEY QUOTE: “This administration is attempting to use this program as a tool in their cruel and chaotic targeting of immigrants,” said Letitia James.
🎯IMPACT: Democratic attorneys general claim the Trump administration’s move violates privacy laws and threatens funding for food assistance programs.
New York Attorney General Letitia James (D), alongside California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D), announced a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its demands for detailed data on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients. The administration has threatened to withhold SNAP funding from states that fail to comply by the July 30 deadline.
James criticized the move as an “illegal data grab” targeting illegal immigrants. “This administration is attempting to use this program as a tool in their cruel and chaotic targeting of immigrants,” she said during a press call. The attorneys general argue that the request violates federal privacy laws and exceeds the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) authority.
Bonta condemned the demands as a “bait-and-switch,” asserting that SNAP recipients provided information to access food assistance, not to be tracked or targeted. “This kind of targeting doesn’t make America safer. It threatens kids’ access to school meals and jeopardizes wildfire survivors’ access to relief,” he claimed.
The lawsuit follows a series of legal challenges led by Democratic attorneys general against Trump’s policies. They argue that expanded data requirements, which include immigration status, marital status, and employment history, are a violation of federal statutes and the Spending Clause.
“They’re bypassing legal procedures, ignoring privacy protections, and demanding data that federal law explicitly says can only be used for administering the SNAP program,” Bonta stated.
Critics say the lawsuit appears to be little more than a continuation of lawfare efforts to prevent President Donald J. Trump from ending the illegal immigration crisis enabled by the former Biden-Harris government.
Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.