California sues after Trump demands access to sensitive data about food stamp recipients

CALIFORNIA, 18 OTHER DEMOCRAT-LED STATES and Washington, D.C. are suing the Trump administration to halt the U.S. Department of Agriculture from collecting sensitive information about people who receive federal food vouchers, known as SNAP.

The Trump administration told states to provide the data by July 30 or risk losing federal funding to administer the program. California receives $1.3 billion annually to distribute about $12 billion a year to 5 million residents who rely on the food vouchers, called CalFresh in California. About 13% of the state’s population receives the aid.

“The purpose of what the Trump administration is doing here is to target immigrant communities,” said Michigan’s Attorney General Dana Nessel, during a press conference today. She said Trump’s actions “send a chilling effect to American citizens, and to tell them that if they apply for programs that they are perfectly entitled to under law, their most personal and sensitive data is going to be shared with all kinds of people, and it’s going to have the impact, and I think it already is, of scaring people away from seeking these increased incredibly important programs.”