New York has joined a multistate lawsuit to fight the Trump administration’s demand for all their personal information on people who get monthly food aid through the federal program that benefits nearly 3 million New Yorkers.
New York Attorney General Letitia James and her counterparts from California and Michigan announced the filing of the case in a joint press conference on Monday, July 28. It was the latest in a flood of court challenges brought by New York and other Democratic-led states to thwart what they argue are unlawful actions by President Donald Trump and his administration since he took office in January.
The federal government has demanded states turn over all details and supporting documents they’ve gathered since 2020 for everyone who has applied for or received benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps. The attorneys general see the move as an attempt to identify undocumented immigrants to aid the administration’s push for mass deportations.
“This administration is attempting to use this program as a tool in their cruel and chaotic targeting of immigrants,” James said during the online conference. “It is outrageous, it is unacceptable.”
Which other states are suing Trump over SNAP?
New York is one of 22 states participating in this latest case against the Trump administration, brought Monday in federal court in California. With that filing, New York is now collaborating on 30 lawsuits challenging a cascade of executive orders by Trump and various actions by his administration.
What does Trump, federal government want from states on SNAP?
Undocumented immigrants are ineligible for SNAP payments under federal law, but their children may qualify for benefits if they’re U.S. citizens. Information about those undocumented parents would be included in the data that the Trump administration is seeking, and could be shared with the Department of Homeland Security for enforcement purposes.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 14: NY Attorney General Letitia James speaks as Connecticut Attorney General William Tong (L) listens on during a press conference on the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) at Manhattan Federal Courthouse on February 14, 2025 in New York City. James was joined by Tong for a press conference ahead of a scheduled court hearing as they discussed their ongoing lawsuit with 17 other state attorneys general to stop Elon Musk’s DOGE from accessing personal data housed in the Treasury Department. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
The SNAP program — a monthly grocery stipend for poor, elderly and disabled recipients — is funded by the federal government but run by the states, who screen applicants for eligibility and retain the application information now being demanded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA is threatening to withhold funding to support the administration of the program if states refuse to comply.
Its deadline to furnish the information is Wednesday, July 30.
James, other AGs: We can’t share immigrant SNAP info
James and the other two attorneys general — Robert Bonta of California and Dana Nessel of Michigan — argued Monday that states gather personal information on recipients strictly to verify eligibility, and they can’t share that information for other purposes without violating that understanding and privacy laws.
“You can’t move the goal posts just because you don’t like the rules, rules that have been in place for decades,” Bonta said. “You can’t break your promises and then blame the states for following the law.”
SNAP changes: How many in NY, Hudson Valley could lose food stamps under GOP bill? The numbers
James scoffed at the federal government’s justification that it wanted the data to root out “waste, fraud and abuse” in the SNAP program.
“That’s a pretext,” James said. “This is really all about immigration enforcement.”
SNAP changes as part of ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’
SNAP beneficiaries use debit cards to buy groceries with a monthly stipend, currently about $376 for the average New York household. The income cutoff to qualify is about $23,000 for an individual and $47,000 for a family of four.
Work requirements for SNAP recipients are being expanded by the massive package of tax and spending cuts enacted this month by President Trump and Republicans in Congress. That law also shifted more of SNAP’s administrative costs from Washington, D.C., to the states, and will force them to cover a share of the benefit costs for the first time in the program’s 60-year-history.
New York officials estimate as many as 300,000 New Yorkers could lose all or part of their benefits, and the state could pick up as much $1.9 billion a year in new costs as a result of those changes.
Chris McKenna covers government and politics for The Journal News and USA Today Network. Reach him at cmckenna@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY AG Letitia James sues Donald Trump over food aid info: The details