"United States Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has threatened to revoke federal funds from Democratic states that are currently fighting an order to surrender data about food assistance recipients. On Tuesday, during the last cabinet meeting of the year, Rollins spoke about the ongoing lawsuit, which pits 21 states and the District of Columbia against the administration of US President Donald Trump."
"Under Trump, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has demanded that states hand over identifying information about recipients who benefit from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Sometimes called food stamps, SNAP helps low-income households afford groceries. Nearly 41.7 million people relied on the programme as of fiscal year 2024, a number that represents nearly 12 percent of US residents."
"The USDA's order would require states to pass along information like Social Security numbers, birth dates and home addresses to federal authorities. Critics fear that such a data transfer could constitute an invasion of privacy. Rollins, however, told the cabinet meeting that the information was needed to address alleged fraud and protect the American taxpayer. We asked for all the states, for the first time, to turn over their data to the federal government to let the USDA partner with them to root out this fraud, to make sure that those who really need food stamps are getting them, she said."
The USDA has demanded that states provide identifying information about SNAP recipients, including Social Security numbers, birth dates and home addresses. Twenty-nine states agreed to turn over data, while 21 states and the District of Columbia refused and are litigating the order. The federal government has threatened to withhold federal SNAP administrative funds from states that continue to refuse to hand over the requested information. Critics express privacy and invasion-of-privacy concerns about transferring detailed personal data. Nearly 41.7 million people relied on SNAP in fiscal year 2024, representing nearly 12 percent of US residents.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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