21 States Sue to Block USDA from Collecting SNAP Data

The federal government could use the collected data for deportation purposes, the lawsuit said.

A sign alerting customers about SNAP food stamps benefits is displayed in a grocery store in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Dec. 5, 2019. Scott Heins/Getty Images

A coalition of 21 states and the District of Columbia sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) over its efforts to make states hand over personal data of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries, according to a July 28 lawsuit filed at the District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division.

The lawsuit stems from a March 20 executive order signed by President Donald Trump asking agency heads to take actions to ensure the federal government has “unfettered access to comprehensive data from all state programs that receive Federal funding.”