California is back in court with the Trump administration, this time fighting the USDA’s attempt to obtain sensitive personal information from SNAP participants.
Attorney General Rob Bonta says the Trump administration is demanding sensitive data from recipients—including Social Security numbers and addresses—dating back to 2020.
Calling it an “unprecedented” overreach, Bonta on Monday described the demand as an “illegal data grab” aimed at deterring individuals from applying for public assistance.
SNAP helps low-income families afford food and requires applicants to share personal data to qualify. In 2024, 5 million Californians were enrolled, while the program reached over 41 million Americans last year, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
The USDA, in May, requested full access to detailed SNAP data to ensure the program is being administered “appropriately and lawfully.” States were told to comply by July 30.
As revealed in Thursday’s Privacy Impact Assessment, the agency has expanded its request to cover further personal information, including recipients’ immigration status and the identities of other people in their households.
The legal challenge, announced Monday by Bonta and New York Attorney General Letitia James, alleges the USDA broke privacy laws, failed to follow public comment rules, acted beyond its authority, and infringed on the Spending Clause.
Attorneys general from 19 additional Democrat-run states backed Bonta and James in asking a federal court to block the agency’s request. The case was filed in the Northern District of California.
