New York Attorney General Letitia James, joined by 20 other states and Kentucky, filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's policy requiring states to disclose personal information of SNAP recipients to federal agencies. The policy violates privacy laws by demanding sensitive data like Social Security numbers for potential immigration enforcement. The coalition seeks a court injunction to stop the illegal data sharing.
The coalition is seeking a court order declaring the USDA's data demand illegal and enjoining the disclosure of SNAP recipients' personal information to other federal agencies for non-program purposes.
In-house legal teams should review all agreements where the company (as a state contractor, vendor, or data processor) handles SNAP or other public assistance program data. Focus on data sharing agreements, data processing addendums (DPAs), and any clauses governing the disclosure of personally identifiable information (PII) to federal agencies. Specific clauses to scrutinize include those permitting data sharing for 'program administration,' 'law enforcement purposes,' or 'compliance with federal directives.' Changes may be needed to explicitly prohibit the use of SNAP data for immigration enforcement absent a warrant or court order, require prior notice and an opportunity to object to such data transfers, and mandate data minimization (e.g., limiting shared data to only what is strictly necessary for SNAP administration). Contracts should also be updated to reflect the legal risks of complying with a potentially unlawful federal mandate and include indemnification provisions related to privacy violations.
Entity
United States Department of Agriculture
Also known as: USDA
Industry
OtherOfficial Press Release
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-takes-action-protect-sensitive-personal-information-tens
state of california et al v united states department of agri
https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/court-filings/state-of-california-et-al-v-united-states-department-of-agriculture-complaint-2025.pdf
New York Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://ag.ny.gov/press-releases
New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 20 other states sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture to stop its demand for personal information of SNAP recipients for immigration enforcement. The District Court issued a temporary restraining order blocking USDA's demand and preventing funding cuts, citing violations of laws protecting SNAP data confidentiality.
$2.6M
New York and Connecticut reached a settlement with Boston Children’s Health Physicians and its IT security provider, XTIUM, after a 2024 breach exposed private information of approximately 825,000 New York residents and 62,871 Connecticut residents. The companies will pay $2.64 million and implement enhanced cybersecurity measures; additional penalties are conditional on violating the settlement.
New York Attorney General Letitia James joined 16 other attorneys general in urging Congress to pass proposed legislation addressing the federal government’s release of Jeffrey Epstein-related records. The press release says DOJ has not fully disclosed the records required by the original law and that personal information of at least 43 victims was exposed in released files; this is a legislative advocacy announcement, not an enforcement action imposing a penalty or remedy.
$1.9M
New York Attorney General Letitia James secured a settlement after an investigation found Dollar General stores routinely charged customers more than advertised or posted prices and issued confusing receipts. Dollar General must donate $1.875 million in food and personal items to Foodlink and implement pricing, receipt, training, and audit reforms.
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New York Attorney General Letitia James and a bipartisan coalition of 39 other attorneys general filed a motion in Character Technologies, Inc.’s bankruptcy, citing risks to children and sensitive user information and potential violations of state privacy laws. The coalition asks the court, the company, and any prospective buyer to require meaningful privacy and safety protections; no fine or final remedy is reported.