Maryland Joins Lawsuit Against Federal Data Demand for SNAP Recipients

Maryland is pushing back against a federal directive that could jeopardize food assistance for thousands of households. According to a press release from the Office of the Maryland Attorney General, the state has joined a multistate lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from requiring the release of personal data from recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). At stake is more than $1.7 billion in annual funding that supports food access for low-income Maryland residents.

The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of California, challenges a May 2025 directive from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that ordered states to provide sensitive data—including Social Security numbers and home addresses—on all SNAP recipients and applicants dating back five years. Maryland officials argue that this demand, if enforced, would violate federal privacy protections and state laws that strictly limit the use of SNAP data to program administration. The USDA reportedly threatened to withhold administrative funding from states that do not comply, potentially disrupting services for nearly a million Maryland households dependent on the program.

The Maryland Attorney General’s Office is part of a coalition of 21 attorneys general and the Governor of Kentucky who are resisting the federal mandate. The group contends that the demand oversteps USDA’s authority, lacks proper procedural justification, and violates both constitutional and statutory safeguards. The states are requesting a court order to block the federal government from enforcing the data request.

The data demand is part of a broader federal effort under President Trump’s current administration to consolidate personal information from multiple federal programs, according to the lawsuit. Maryland and other states have already challenged similar actions involving Medicaid data. State officials warn that fulfilling the SNAP request would expose millions to potential misuse of their private information without advancing the integrity of the program—something the USDA itself has previously recognized as already having strong safeguards.

Article by multiple contributors, based upon information from the Maryland Office of the Attorney General press release

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