AGs secure order halting Trump’s push to use SNAP data for mass surveillance

In a win protecting the data of Washington residents, a federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) demand that states turn over personal and sensitive information about millions of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients.

In July, Attorney General Nick Brown joined a lawsuit against the Trump administration alleging the USDA's demand for SNAP data violates multiple federal laws and the U.S. Constitution.

"The last thing people struggling to put food on the table need to worry about is the federal government demanding access to their private information," Brown said. "I'm grateful that our coalition has secured this court order protecting Washingtonians' privacy."

SNAP is a federally funded, state-administered program that provides billions of dollars in food assistance to tens of millions of low-income families across the country. SNAP applicants provide their private information on the understanding, backed by long-standing state and federal laws, that their information will not be used for unrelated purposes.

In an attempt to bully states into compliance, USDA has repeatedly threatened to withhold administrative funding for the program if states fail to comply with its unprecedented demand for data - effectively forcing states to choose between protecting their residents' privacy and providing critical nutrition assistance to those in need.

Washington state receives roughly $129.5 million a year to administer the program, and any delay in that funding could be catastrophic for the state and the residents who rely on SNAP for food.

A copy of the order is available here.

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