Oregon AG claims victory as judge halts sharing of SNAP data

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – States won’t be required to turn over data on people who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for now.

A federal judge for the Northern District of California ordered a temporary restraining order on Sept. 18, effectively pausing the Trump administration’s demands for states to turn over SNAP recipients’ personal information.

“No Oregonian should have to choose between putting food on the table and protecting their family’s privacy,” Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said in a statement.

As KOIN 6 News previously reported, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield joined a multistate lawsuit in challenging demands from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for states to hand over the data in July due to concerns the information would be used for immigration enforcement.

“This ruling means parents can keep feeding their kids without worrying that their personal information will be misused or turned against them,” Rayfield said. “SNAP is about fighting hunger, not about immigration enforcement.”

The judge found that the states were likely to succeed in their argument that the recipients personal information can only be used to administer food assistance. The temporary restraining order prevents the USDA from withholding funding for SNAP benefits from the states.

The temporary restraining order applies to 21 of the 22 states included in the lawsuit, except Nevada, as the state already turned over the information. Attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, the District of Columbia, as well as the state of Kentucky were also part of the lawsuit.

One in six Oregonians relies on SNAP to help cover their food costs, amounting to about 751,000 people statewide. The data in question includes things like social security numbers, recent locations and immigration statuses.

Generally, undocumented immigrants are not eligible to receive benefits, but those with children who are citizens can receive benefits on their behalf.