New York Attorney General Letitia James Sues Trump Administration Over Welfare Data Sharing

New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a federal lawsuit, joining 23 other state attorneys general, two governors and the District of Columbia attorney general, to block a federal rule that would allow the sharing of personal information of low‑income families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The rule would permit the disclosure of addresses, immigration records and Social Security numbers to state agencies, federal agencies and private contractors through an updated TANF Data System that stores zip codes, employment histories and immigration categories.

James argues the initiative violates existing federal privacy protections, saying the administration is "weaponizing TANF" and turning an antipoverty program into a tool for targeting vulnerable families. The lawsuit seeks to prevent the government from implementing the data‑sharing program and to safeguard the privacy of millions of welfare recipients.