States Fight Federal Effort To Collect Personal Data Of Food Stamp Users

Summary

Summary of "States Fight Federal Effort To Collect Personal Data Of Food Stamp Users" – NPR Politics Podcast

Release Date: July 29, 2025

In this episode of the NPR Politics Podcast, hosts Deepa Shivaram, Miles Parks, and Jude Joffe Block delve into the contentious efforts by the federal government to collect extensive personal data from recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. The discussion highlights the implications of these data collection initiatives, the states' resistance, and the broader context of federal data consolidation.

---

1. USDA’s Intensive Data Collection Effort

The episode opens with Jude Joffe Block outlining the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) recent mandate for states to provide detailed personal data of SNAP recipients. This directive, issued on July 29, 2025, demands information such as Social Security numbers, names, birthdates, addresses, benefit amounts received, and, more recently, immigration status and household member details. Initially announced in May, the USDA expanded the data request just a week prior to the episode's recording, broadening the scope and raising alarms among states.

Jude Joffe Block [01:50]: "USDA told states they had until July 30th to turn over a lot of data about everyone who has received or even applied for food assistance."

---

2. Demographics of SNAP Beneficiaries

Jude provides a comprehensive overview of the SNAP program, emphasizing its vast reach and the vulnerability of its recipients. With over 40 million Americans receiving SNAP benefits monthly, the program serves individuals and families at or below 130% of the federal poverty level. Eligibility requires applicants to submit substantial personal information, which is currently managed by state administrations.

Jude Joffe Block [02:56]: "More than 40 million people get SNAP benefits every month. These are people who are at or below 130% of the federal poverty level."

---

3. Federal Justifications for Data Collection

The USDA defends its data collection by citing the need to "check the integrity of the program" and ensure that benefits are appropriately allocated to eligible individuals. They reference an executive order signed by former President Trump in March aimed at eliminating data silos and promoting "unfettered access to data from state programs that receive federal funds."

Jude Joffe Block [03:33]: "Their line is that they want to check the integrity of the program. They want to ensure the people who are enrolled are really eligible."

However, states argue that this rationale is a pretext, suggesting that the true motive is broader data consolidation without a clear, justified purpose. The existing anti-fraud measures, they contend, are sufficient without necessitating such invasive data requests.

Jude Joffe Block [03:33]: "There are ways for the federal government to audit data without collecting this volume of personal information of people."

---

4. States’ Resistance and Legal Challenges

A coalition of over 20 states, led by California and New York, has mounted legal challenges against the USDA's data request. They argue that the mandate is unlawful and that compliance threats, such as potential withholding of federal funds, are coercive. The lawsuit seeks judicial intervention to declare the data collection unlawful and to prevent the federal government from penalizing non-compliant states.

Jude Joffe Block [06:02]: "Some of the relief they're asking for is to say to a judge, we want you to say that this is unlawful and that they also can't take away funds if we don't turn over this data."

---

5. Broader Federal Data Collection Initiatives

Miles Parks expands the discussion by highlighting a trend of increased data consolidation efforts by the federal government. Recent initiatives include requests for Medicaid data and collaborations between the IRS and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to verify citizenship status for voter roll maintenance. These efforts raise significant privacy and civil liberties concerns, as states fear the data could be misused beyond the intended purposes.

Miles Parks [04:55]: "We're kind of seeing a data consolidation or data gathering revolution within the federal government right now."

---

6. Privacy Concerns and the Privacy Act of 1974

The conversation shifts to the legal framework governing personal data, specifically the Privacy Act of 1974. Jude explains that this act was established to prevent the federal government from creating centralized databases that could misuse personal information. The states' lawsuit contends that the USDA's data collection violates this act by allowing broad data sharing with other agencies and law enforcement.

Jude Joffe Block [10:33]: "The Privacy Act was created... to protect against Americans' personal data being collected by the government for one reason and then being used for another purpose."

Furthermore, the USDA proceeded with data collection despite receiving over 450 public comments opposing the initiative, undermining the act’s stipulation for public input and transparency.

Jude Joffe Block [11:56]: "The very next day, after the comment period closed, USDA started their data collection program as planned without sort of making any changes."

---

7. Public Reaction and Implications for SNAP Beneficiaries

Miles Parks addresses the tangible fears among SNAP recipients, particularly non-citizen parents eligible for benefits through their U.S. citizen children. The intensified data collection could deter eligible families from applying for or continuing to receive benefits due to fears of immigration enforcement, potentially leading to a "chilling effect" on essential service utilization.

Miles Parks [07:55]: "...parents may be so scared of getting kind of caught up in an immigration raid."

This reluctance exacerbates the vulnerability of already marginalized populations relying on SNAP for food security.

---

8. Shifting Political Dynamics and Public Sentiment

The discussion also touches on the evolving political landscape surrounding data privacy. Historically, data consolidation has faced opposition from conservative factions wary of government overreach. However, current efforts come from a conservative administration, adding complexity to the partisan dynamics. Public opinion remains divided, with surveys indicating significant concern over data privacy but also a sense of resignation that personal data is already widely collected.

Miles Parks [13:03]: "There has been a little bit of polling... two-thirds of Americans were concerned about how DOGE was accessing sensitive information."

---

9. Conclusion and Ongoing Legal Battles

As the episode wraps up, the hosts underscore the uncertainty surrounding the legal challenges and the future of federal-state data relations. The outcome of the lawsuit could set a critical precedent for future data requests and the balance of power between federal mandates and state sovereignty.

Catherine Marr [14:36]: "That's one of the things that are supposed to be done. And it's just not clear that that's how it's being done in many of these cases, which is, I guess, where these lawsuits are coming from."

---

Key Takeaways

• The USDA's aggressive data collection from SNAP recipients has sparked significant backlash from states and advocacy groups.
• States argue that the data request violates the Privacy Act of 1974 and threatens federal funding.
• Broader federal efforts to consolidate data across various programs raise serious privacy and civil liberties concerns.
• The potential chilling effect on SNAP beneficiaries underscores the human impact of these policies.
• The ongoing legal battle will have lasting implications for federal-state relations and data privacy legislation.

---

Notable Quotes:

• Jude Joffe Block [01:50]: "USDA told states they had until July 30th to turn over a lot of data about everyone who has received or even applied for food assistance."
• Miles Parks [04:55]: "We're kind of seeing a data consolidation or data gathering revolution within the federal government right now."
• Jude Joffe Block [10:33]: "The Privacy Act was created... to protect against Americans' personal data being collected by the government for one reason and then being used for another purpose."
• Miles Parks [07:55]: "...parents may be so scared of getting kind of caught up in an immigration raid."

---

This episode provides a comprehensive examination of the federal government's data collection efforts targeting SNAP recipients, the robust opposition from states, and the broader implications for data privacy and federalism in the United States.

Transcript

[Catherine Marr]

When you walk into NPR headquarters, one of the first things you see is a big map of the country covered with little blue dots. Each dot represents a local public radio station. That's the NPR Network. I'm Catherine Marr, CEO of npr. With federal funding for public media eliminated, your network is under serious threat. Help us plan for the road [e-mail] hello. I'm April C. Taylor, youth faculty at Schall Anderson Dance center in Berkeley, California.

[Jude Joffe Block]

My students and I are just finishing.

[Catherine Marr]

Up our spring semester in all levels Contemporary for dancers 8 to 11 years old. This podcast was recorded at 1:11pm on Tuesday, July 29, 2025. Things may have changed by the time.

[Jude Joffe Block]

You hear this, but we will still.

[Catherine Marr]

Be jumping, leaping and turning because, as Alice Walker taught us, hard times required furious dancing. Enjoy the show. Enjoy the show. That was so cute.

[Miles Parks]

I feel like my, like, theater kid trauma was such that I heard the echo of the beginning and I was like, she's either in a high school theater or in a studio. Like, I could tell. I knew it was one of those places.

[Catherine Marr]

That was great sound.

[Miles Parks]

That was good.

[Catherine Marr]

Hey there. It's the NPR Politics Podcast. I'm Deepa Shivaram. I cover the White House.

[Miles Parks]

I'm Miles Parks. I cover voting.

[Jude Joffe Block]

I'm Jude Joffe Block. I'm on the Power and Influence team.

[Catherine Marr]

And today on the show, we're talking about Americans personal data and the federal government's efforts to collect it from the states. Jude, you have been covering one of the recent efforts on this by the U.S. department of Agriculture or USDA. Explain to us what has been going on.

[Jude Joffe Block]

Yeah, well, USDA told states they had until July 30th to turn over a lot of data about everyone who has received or even applied for food assistance. The program snap, it used to be known as food stamps. And so this data, they're requesting Social Security numbers, names, birthdays, addresses, how much they've received in SNAP benefits. And this goes back to January of 2020. So five years worth of data here. And they brought up this data request in May. But then just last week, the USDA broadened the request to include even more information like immigration status and information on household members as well. And then yesterday on Monday, a coalition of more than 20 states led by California and New York sued over this data request, saying it's an unlawful request. And it's actually the second lawsuit we've seen so far challenging this data collection plan.

[Catherine Marr]

With this data, though, from usda, I mean, can you tell us how many people receive the SNAP benefits. What do those demographics really look like?

[Jude Joffe Block]

Yeah, I mean, this is a huge population. More than 40 million people get snap benefits every month. These are people who are at or below 130% of the federal poverty level. To apply, they have to give a lot of personal data and information to find out if they're eligible. And they give that information to the states that administer the program. And, you know, only certain categories of non citizens can get snap. People in the country without legal status definitely cannot get get SNAP benefits, but they can sign up their US Citizen children if they're eligible.

[Catherine Marr]

Okay, so why does the government say that it needs this data at all?

[Jude Joffe Block]

Their line is that they want to check the integrity of the program. They want to ensure the people who are enrolled are really eligible. They've cited an executive order that Trump signed in March that is about eliminating data silos. It calls for, quote, unfettered access to data from state programs that receive federal funds. And the attorneys general from states that are challenging this, you know, they push back and they say that this is really a pretext that, you know, checking for fraud isn't the real goal here. There are already anti fraud measures in place. There are ways for the federal government to audit data without collecting this volume of personal information of people.

[Miles Parks]

And I will say, I feel like even the states that are pushing back on this, they're not saying necessarily that there is no fraud at all in the SNAP program or that improper payments never go out. I think what they're saying basically is it's not clear from the USDA why they need this data to be able to check or what they're going to be doing with it. And there's never been evidence of the kind of massive fraud. We see this in a lot of different sectors, this idea that there is this fraud, waste and abuse without there being any sort of widespread evidence of it.

[Catherine Marr]

Miles, what other data sets has the federal government collected or tried to collect from the states so far?

[Miles Parks]

I mean, there is just a plethora of different things that the federal government over the last few months has been asking for. I do not think it's hyperbolic to say this is. We're kind of seeing a data consolidation or data gathering revolution within the federal government right now. I mean, reports over the last couple weeks have noted that the federal government is looking for Medicaid data, for instance, data from the irs. Jude and I reported a story just a couple weeks ago about the Department of Homeland Security consolidating a number of data sources to basically create a system that allows the local election officials to put in somebody's name and be able to say, are you a citizen or are you not a citizen? For the purpose of cleaning up the voter rolls. But there are a lot of concerns, obviously, about creating such a system and what else something like that could be used for?

[Catherine Marr]

Yeah, I think that's the big question mark, right? Is the government saying, hey, we want more information from the states? The states are saying we're like, not feeling super great about some of this. At least almost half based on Jude, what you said. I'm curious if you could speak a little bit more about how states are reacting and do they have, besides this lawsuit, are there any tools in their toolbox to essentially say no to the federal government in wanting to collect this information?

[Jude Joffe Block]

Well, the threat here is that if states don't turn over the data, that they could be considered not in compliance and that the federal government could have grounds to try to withhold funding from the states. And so this lawsuit that the states filed yesterday, some of the relief they're asking for is to say to a judge, we want you to say that this is unlawful and that they also can't take away funds if we don't turn over this data. And so that's one of the big kind of questions at the heart of this lawsuit is kind of like how this is going to shake out. And just in terms of the bigger picture here, I think the states that are concerned about the SNAP data are really looking at the precedent here with the IRS and the Medicaid data, because these are examples where the federal government is taking steps to be able to share address information from IRS from Medicaid data with the Department of Homeland Security in the case of Medicaid, with ICE specifically, really to be able to locate people who might be subject to deportation. And so that is the bigger picture that they have on their minds with this SNAP data. We heard from Rob Bonta, Attorney General of California, one of the states behind the lawsuit challenging this data collection, talked about this bigger pattern during a press conference Monday announcing the lawsuit.

[Miles Parks]

Now, they're coming for SNAP data tomorrow. It could be housing, education, or emergency relief. It's all part of a dangerous strategy. Weaponize personal information to create fear and suppress access to essential services.

[Jude Joffe Block]

The bigger context here is that the SNAP program and the Medicaid program have both seen really dramatic cuts in funding as well. And so this debate over the data from these programs is also playing out at a time when people who were used to relying on these programs, states that used to rely on federal funds for these programs are seeing dramatic decreases there as well.

[Catherine Marr]

Myles, what has the reaction been so far? I mean, from folks who are receiving these SNAP benefits, these food stamp benefits? What is the criticism been of the government?

[Miles Parks]

I mean, right. There's the criticism of the data privacy stuff, which is kind of abstract. But I think in the practical level, you have to remember that these are benefits that allow poor people to get food. Right. And so I think there is a really big fear that there are going to be people the parents are non citizens, but the children are US Citizens and are eligible for these benefits, that those are going to be the type of people who may need this food and may not apply moving forward because the parents may be so scared of getting kind of caught up in an immigration raid. There is a lot of fear that there's going to be a chilling effect here.

[Catherine Marr]

Okay, we're going to take a quick break and we'll be back in a moment. Hi, it's Catherine Marr, CEO of npr. Federal funding for public media has been eliminated. That means that the NPR network is moving forward in an uncharted future. But our commitment to you will never waver. Please give today to support the kind of journalism that democracy relies upon. Make your [e-mail] thank you.

[Miles Parks]

This summer on Planet Money Summer School, we're learning about political economy. We're getting into the nitty gritty of what government does with things like trade, taxes, immigration and health care. So politics and economics, which are taught separately, they shouldn't be separated at all. I think you have to understand one to really appreciate the other. So what is the right amount of government in our lives? Tune into Planet Money Summer School from npr. Wherever you get your podcasts. You're listening to NPR because you're curious. You want to know what the world is like beyond the surface. NPR feeds that curiosity with stories from real people, with real experiences and all the perspectives that come with them. It's our right to be curious and our prerogative to listen. So keep your curiosity alive. Hear the bigger picture every day on npr.

[Catherine Marr]

Hey, it's Deepa Shivaram. It can feel impossible to find your next favorite podcast. And hey, we're so glad you're here listening to us, the NPR Politics podcast. But when you want to switch it up, check out NPR's Pod Club newsletter. Sign up and you'll get fresh podcast recommendations every week, handpicked by the people that live for this stuff. You can subscribe for free using the link in Today. Today's show notes [e-mail] podclub okay, here's the show, and we're back. And we should mention here that there's a law that's relevant in all of this. Jude, can you explain walk me through how the Privacy act of 1974 plays into what we're talking about?

[Jude Joffe Block]

Yeah, well, the Privacy act was created in the aftermath of the Watergate era. I mean, it was also at a time when there'd been some proposals about federal databases that would consolidate a lot of data on Americans, and there was pushback to that. So the idea here was a law that would protect against Americans personal data being collected by the government for one reason and then being used for another purpose and to kind of guard against this, like mass consolidation and the creation of kind of a master database of everybody's information. And so the lawsuit that's challenging this SNAP program data collection is raising concerns about violations of Privacy Act. You know, they're, they're pointing out that the usda, in its own public notice about how it's going to use the data, has indicated that it plans to share the data with other agencies and law enforcement, sort of, kind of gives itself a broad way to do that. And they point out that the, you know, under the Privacy act, really, this data should only be used for SNAP administration and quite narrowly used and not shared widely. And so that's one of the points here. The Privacy act also ensures that there's a public comment period and that the public can give feedback to the government when their data is going to be collected and used. And the USDA did put out a public notice and received public comments, like more than 450 comments, many of them negative and critical, about this data collection, raising concerns. But the very next day, after the comment period closed, USDA started their data collection program as planned without sort of making any changes. So that's another part that's been pointed out by these states that they didn't really honor the spirit of that public comment and feedback period.

[Miles Parks]

Yeah, I feel like the narrowness, as you mentioned, Jude, is like the thing that sticks out to me when I think about all of these different debates with all these different sets of data that the federal government's interested in getting right now is it just makes it so clear that you can't, like, get a bunch of data and be like, that seems useful. We'll figure out what we're going to do with that after we combine it. Right? It's like you have to have a very specific purpose to combine that data before you do it, as opposed to the other way around.

[Catherine Marr]

Well, also, like, politically speaking, I mean, you mentioned this privacy act was in the aftermath of Watergate. Right. Where, like, political tension was very fraught at the time. There was a lot of lack of transparency, lack of trust in the government. And to come to this point where now it's, you know, a conservative administration that's arguing here that they should be collecting more data when traditionally this is a party that has been opposed to that. I mean, the politics of this has kind of flown. Flipped around, too.

[Miles Parks]

Yeah, totally. And it's very unclear, I think, at this point how the public feels about all of this data consolidation. I think part of it, because it's very in the weeds. You just hit the check mark whenever you hit. Exactly. Right. That whole thing. Right. But there has been a little bit of polling. I know the New York Times did a poll a few months ago that found like, 2/3 of Americans were concerned about how Doge was accessing sensitive information. So I think it's clear that there's some level of concern. But I do think that there are a lot of people are basically like, everyone else has my data. You know, many people are kind of surprised, I think, that the federal government doesn't already have access to this data. But the bottom line is these laws have been in place for decades. And so, yes, it might make logical sense to a lot of people, might like make logical sense to some members of Congress. If that's the case, then Congress needs to change the law in a lot of cases. Right. And so at this point, there are laws and there are ways that are there. This is supposed to be done. And it's just not clear that that's how it's being done in many of.

[Catherine Marr]

These cases, which is, I guess, where these lawsuits are coming from. We're going to leave it there for today. I'm Deepa Shivaram. I cover the White House.

[Miles Parks]

I'm Miles Parks. I cover voting.

[Jude Joffe Block]

I'm Jude Joffy Block. I'm on the Power and Influence team.

[Catherine Marr]

And thank you for listening to the NPR Politics podcast.

[Miles Parks]

At Planet Money. We know that economic jargon can sometimes feel like speaking another language.

[Jude Joffe Block]

Yeah, like arbitrage, Alpha, otarchy.

[Miles Parks]

That's just what's in the news these days. There's also absolute advantage.

[Jude Joffe Block]

Aggregate demand, aggregate supply. And this is just the A's.

[Miles Parks]

Oh, animal spirits.

[Jude Joffe Block]

That's a pretty good one. Planet Money from npr. We help you translate the economy so.

[Catherine Marr]

You can understand the world wherever you get your podcasts.

[Miles Parks]

This message comes from Ritual. What makes Ritual Vitamins different? Ritual vitamins are made with bioavailable, clinically studied key ingredients as well as the essence of mint. Get 25% off your first purchase when you visit ritual.com NPR hey everybody, it's Ian from How to Do Everything. On our show, we attempt to answer your how to questions. We don't know how to do anything, so we call experts. Last season, both Tom Hanks and Martha Stewart stop by to help. Our next season is launching in just a few months, so get us your questions now by emailing howtopr.org or calling 1-800-424-2935.