New York Attorney General Letitia James is challenging a federal policy that she says would expose sensitive personal information belonging to millions of families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits.
James co-led a multistate coalition in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration over changes announced by the federal Administration for Children and Families in June. The policy would allow the agency to share detailed TANF recipient records with other federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security.
The lawsuit says the records could include Social Security numbers, addresses, immigration status and other personal information. The coalition argues that sharing the data across the federal government and potentially with private organizations violates federal law and the U.S. Constitution.
The states also contend that the policy could deter eligible families from seeking assistance and force state agencies to divert resources from benefit programs to new federal oversight requirements.
Congress created TANF in 1996 to provide block grants for state, territorial and tribal programs serving low-income families with children. The funding supports direct cash assistance, child care subsidies, emergency housing, food assistance and other services.
New York receives about $2.7 billion in TANF funding annually, according to the attorney general's office. The state uses that funding to provide direct cash assistance to about 190,000 people, including 127,000 children, and shelter services for about 39,000 people in New York City.
James said the policy would turn an anti-poverty program into a tool for targeting vulnerable families. The lawsuit seeks a court order declaring the policy illegal and preventing it from taking effect.
The coalition also argues that federal officials improperly imposed new conditions on funding and ignored legal restrictions governing data sharing in TANF programs.
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