A sign for food stamps, as the U.S. President Donald Trump administration said it plans on Monday to partially fund food aid for millions of Americans after two judges ruled it must use contingency funds to pay for the benefits in November during the government shutdown, outside a grocery story in Baldwin, New York, U.S., November 3, 2025. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
(Seattle, Washington) – Washington state officials are pushing back against a renewed federal effort to obtain sensitive personal data from millions of Americans enrolled in food assistance programs, escalating a legal fight over privacy and federal authority.
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown is asking a federal judge to enforce an existing court order that blocks the release of private information tied to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The request follows a recent ruling by a federal judge in California, who rejected a similar demand that states hand over detailed SNAP recipient data to the federal government.
According to court filings, the U.S. Department of Agriculture had previously indicated the data could be used for purposes unrelated to administering food benefits, raising alarms among state officials. While the Trump administration has since argued that strict security protocols would protect the information, Brown says those assurances do not prevent the data from being repurposed once it is turned over.
Brown warned that allowing the federal government access to sensitive personal details could set a dangerous precedent, particularly for low-income families who rely on SNAP. He emphasized that Washington has a responsibility to safeguard residents’ data, especially when federal intentions remain unclear.
Washington receives nearly $130 million annually to administer SNAP, funding the infrastructure that delivers food assistance across the state. Brown argues that federal funding does not give Washington carte blanche authority to collect or reuse personal data beyond what is required by law, and he is asking the court to reaffirm those limits.
