The USDA, which oversees SNAP, first announced a plan to make states share benefit recipient data in a directive issued in May.

Twenty states are suing the Trump administration, alleging that the Department of Agriculture is improperly attempting to gather sensitive personal information of low-income families across the country who use food stamps.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 21 other attorneys general have filed a lawsuit against the USDA for demanding states provide access to confidential information about SNAP recipients, which they argue violates federal privacy laws and the US Constitution.