By Liz Nass
Gongwer News Service
Attorney General Dana Nessel is calling for a block on President Donald Trump and his administration on attempting to get states to turn over personal information on millions of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients while litigation continues.
Nessel is a co-lead of the lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture on this administrative action when the department requested SNAP data that the states in the suit say violates multiple federal privacy laws.
Last week, the department threatened to cut off administrative funding needed to run SNAP if the states do not turn over this data.
“The federal government is illegally demanding sensitive, identifiable information on every single SNAP recipient in our state – not to improve the program or fight fraud, but to create a database to use however they choose,” Nessel said in a statement. “Now, while our lawsuit plays out in court, the Trump Administration is threatening to withhold crucial federal SNAP funding for refusing to comply with these illegal demands. It is my hope the court moves quickly to protect Michigan families and ensure vital food assistance is not jeopardized by this unlawful action.”
This would include the information of 1.4 million Michiganders on SNAP resources and $254 million in jeopardy.
Nessel said in a release that in the past, the states and federal government had figured out systems to make sure only eligible recipients receive the funds and it had never required turning over sensitive information.
This information would include social security numbers, home addresses, and shopping history for the past five years. The department said they needed this “to prevent fraud and abuse.”
The coalition is asking the court to intervene now before cutting funds from states as leverage before the court has a chance to rule on any claims.
Gongwer News Service
Attorney General Dana Nessel is calling for a block on President Donald Trump and his administration on attempting to get states to turn over personal information on millions of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients while litigation continues.
Nessel is a co-lead of the lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture on this administrative action when the department requested SNAP data that the states in the suit say violates multiple federal privacy laws.
Last week, the department threatened to cut off administrative funding needed to run SNAP if the states do not turn over this data.
“The federal government is illegally demanding sensitive, identifiable information on every single SNAP recipient in our state – not to improve the program or fight fraud, but to create a database to use however they choose,” Nessel said in a statement. “Now, while our lawsuit plays out in court, the Trump Administration is threatening to withhold crucial federal SNAP funding for refusing to comply with these illegal demands. It is my hope the court moves quickly to protect Michigan families and ensure vital food assistance is not jeopardized by this unlawful action.”
This would include the information of 1.4 million Michiganders on SNAP resources and $254 million in jeopardy.
Nessel said in a release that in the past, the states and federal government had figured out systems to make sure only eligible recipients receive the funds and it had never required turning over sensitive information.
This information would include social security numbers, home addresses, and shopping history for the past five years. The department said they needed this “to prevent fraud and abuse.”
The coalition is asking the court to intervene now before cutting funds from states as leverage before the court has a chance to rule on any claims.
––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
https://www.legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available
