Maryland AG Joins Multi-State Lawsuit Against Trump Administration Over TANF Data Sharing

Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has joined a coalition of 23 other states and the District of Columbia in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration. The legal action challenges recent policy changes that would grant expanded access to sensitive personal information of millions of families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits. The coalition asserts that these changes unlawfully increase the federal government’s ability to share private data collected from TANF recipients.

Per a press release from the Maryland Attorney General’s office, the lawsuit targets a June 2026 notice issued by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). This notice, according to the coalition, dramatically broadens the ACF’s oversight of state TANF programs and permits the sharing of detailed records on recipients with other federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The TANF program, established by Congress in 1996, provides block grants to states for programs assisting low-income families with children, supporting essential services such as childcare subsidies, emergency housing, and food assistance. Maryland alone receives approximately $228 million annually in TANF funding, which in Fiscal Year 2026 supported over 38,000 participants monthly.

The core of the legal challenge lies in the coalition’s argument that the ACF’s new policy violates existing law and the Constitution. Specifically, they contend that the policy permits the unlawful sharing of sensitive personal data, including Social Security numbers, addresses, and immigration status, across various federal agencies and potentially with private organizations. The plaintiffs argue that the TANF legislation designates states, not the federal government, as responsible for verifying applicant eligibility. The ACF’s claim of broad authority to oversee state programs and share recipient data for purposes like immigration status verification is seen as a direct contravention of these requirements.

The lawsuit further posits that the ACF’s policy represents an unlawful effort to politically target states and individuals who are legally entitled to critical TANF benefits. The coalition contends that such data sharing would erode the trust that states’ TANF programs have cultivated with immigrant communities, potentially deterring eligible individuals from seeking necessary assistance. Additionally, the policy could impose new federal oversight requirements, diverting resources away from direct family support programs and toward bureaucratic compliance. The suit seeks a court order to declare the ACF’s policy unlawful and to prevent its implementation, citing violations of the Administrative Procedure Act and the Spending Clause of the U.S. Constitution for ignoring restrictions on data sharing and imposing arbitrary conditions on federal funding.

The states joining Maryland in this legal action include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. The governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania also joined the coalition.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the Maryland Attorney General’s Office

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