At least 27 states turned over sensitive data about food stamp recipients to USDA

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Since late July, most Democratic-led states have refused to give in to an unprecedented demand from the Trump administration to turn over personal information on federal food assistance recipients going back to 2020, including their names, dates of birth, home addresses, Social Security numbers and benefits amounts.

Yet most states with a Republican governor have already complied. NPR's reporting found at least 27 states have already shared data on millions of people who receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP.

Each month, close to 42 million Americans rely on SNAP, which used to be known as food stamps. The U.S. Department of Agriculture framed the data demand as necessary to accomplish the Trump administration's goal of identifying and eliminating waste, fraud and abuse.

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Democratic state officials have argued the data demand is unlawful and likely part of a pattern of the Trump administration aggregating Americans' personal data for purposes that include immigration enforcement.

Those states won a victory in court on Wednesday when U.S. District Judge Maxine M. Chesney in San Francisco issued a preliminary order blocking the Trump administration from punishing them for refusing to turn over SNAP data.

The ruling means as the case continues, the Trump administration cannot legally follow through with thre