July 29 (UPI) -- A group of 22 states filed a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from forcing states to give information about residents receiving SNAP benefits.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Monday that he has joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, who have filed suit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA.
According to a press release from Bonta's office, the USDA is demanding that states turn over "personal and sensitive information" about millions of recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP benefits.
A federally funded program, SNAP is administered by states to provide food assistance. The money provided is in the billions and is supplied to millions of low-income families across the United States. To receive SNAP benefits, recipients must supply their personal information, which Bonta's office states happens "on the understanding, backed by long-standing state and federal laws, that their information will not be used for unrelated purposes."
Bonta's office alleged that the USDA is threatening to withhold SNAP funding unless states turn over such personal information, which would effectively force "states to choose between protecting their residents' privacy and providing critical nutrition assistance to those in need."
