Coalition Challenges Federal Agencies' Access to States' SNAP Data
A coalition of stakeholders filed a motion for a temporary restraining order (TRO) on Tuesday against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), blocking them from demanding and receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applicant and recipient data from the states.
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The stakeholders filed the lawsuit May 22, alleging violation of the Privacy Act, the Paperwork Reduction Act and the Administrative Procedure Act, among other statutes.
The TRO asks that USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and FNS Administrator James Miller be enjoined from enforcing a May 6 letter from the USDA to state agency directors asking them to hand over data to comply with a March executive order, as well as bar them from requesting or receiving "any SNAP applicant and recipient information from state governments or third-party EBT processors."
The suit in case 25-01650 alleges that government agencies' demand for states to turn over SNAP data is illegal because numerous federal laws, like the Privacy Act or E-Government Act, provide safeguards for personal data. Additionally, it claims that the plaintiffs are harmed by the government's actions, as recipients of SNAP benefits must surrender their sensitive personal information to the federal government.
Plaintiffs in the case include EPIC, SNAP recipients, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger and students from the National Student Legal Defense Network.
Earlier this month, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), Protect Democracy and the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) blasted the USDA order that state agency directors submit SNAP data to be added to a consolidated data hub in compliance with President Donald Trump’s “Information Silos” executive order. The groups said the order was unlawful and asked state agency directors to ignore the USDA's request (see 2505150044).