Key facts
- Twenty-one states, led by California, are suing the Trump administration over a policy to share data from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.
Multiple states are suing the Trump administration over a policy that would share data from an anti-poverty program with immigration officials. Attorneys general argue the policy violates federal law and the Constitution by conditioning TANF funds on data sharing without proper oversight.
The lawsuit highlights a significant conflict between federal immigration enforcement goals and state-level social welfare programs, potentially impacting millions of low-income families and raising constitutional questions about federal power over state funds.
A coalition of 21 states, led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, has filed a lawsuit challenging a Trump administration policy that mandates the sharing of data from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The states contend that the administration's data-sharing policy violates the 1946 Administrative Procedure Act and the 1988 Computer Matching Act, asserting it was implemented without adequate oversight. Furthermore, they allege the policy improperly conditions states' eligibility for TANF funds on their compliance with the data-sharing order, thereby infringing upon the U.S. Constitution's Spending Clause.
This legal challenge is not the first instance of state prosecutors suing over the administration's efforts to provide welfare data to DHS and immigration agents. In the past year, judges have issued rulings blocking or significantly restricting White House attempts to share taxpayer information, Medicaid databases, and food aid recipient data with immigration officials, following similar legal actions by Democratic attorneys general.
Conversely, the Trump administration argues that sharing this data is crucial for preventing undocumented immigrants from improperly accessing federal aid. In some instances, courts have permitted DHS to access limited information concerning undocumented immigrants while prohibiting the agency from obtaining personal data belonging to U.S. citizens.
The lawsuit includes co-plaintiffs from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro are also co-plaintiffs.