New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Monday that she is leading a coalition of 20 Democratic attorneys general in a lawsuit against the Trump administration. They are challenging the administration’s request for information about food stamp recipients and applicants, which they argue is an unlawful attempt to target illegal immigrants.
The lawsuit, spearheaded by James, along with California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, was filed in response to the Trump administration’s demand for detailed personal information regarding recipients and applicants of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The administration has threatened to withhold SNAP funding from states that do not comply with the July 30 deadline, setting the stage for a legal battle between Trump officials and Democratic state leaders.
During a press call, James and other attorneys general criticized the new SNAP data-sharing requirement as an “illegal data grab” intended to intimidate vulnerable communities and aid in the targeting of immigrants for deportation.
The attorneys general denounced the administration’s use of the SNAP program as a tool for pursuing its immigration agenda, describing it as cruel and chaotic.
This lawsuit is part of ongoing legal challenges that James and other Democratic attorneys general have brought against the Trump administration. They argue that the USDA’s demands for SNAP data violate federal laws and privacy protections.
The attorneys general emphasized that the administration’s request for personal information, including immigration statuses and other details, goes beyond the scope of what is necessary to administer the SNAP program.
They raised concerns about the potential misuse of this data to target immigrant communities and emphasized that the administration’s actions are in violation of the law.
Overall, the lawsuit represents a broader effort by Democratic states to push back against what they view as overreach by the Trump administration in various policy areas.
The attorneys general highlighted the importance of upholding federal privacy statutes and laws, and expressed their commitment to challenging the administration’s actions in court.
It is clear that this legal battle is just one example of the ongoing conflicts between Democratic state leaders and the Trump administration, as they clash over issues of immigration, privacy, and federal-state relations.
