By Asaye Bankole

US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has warned Democratic states that they’re at risk of losing federal funding if they don’t comply with requests to share data on food assistance recipients.

This threat comes amid an ongoing lawsuit between 21 states, the District of Columbia, and the Trump administration. Rollins stated that starting next week, federal funds will be withheld from non-compliant states, emphasizing that sharing data is crucial to rooting out fraud and protecting taxpayers.

The requested data includes recipients’ immigration status, Social Security numbers, and other personal info, which Democratic states argue is an invasion of privacy and unlawful.

A federal judge has already ruled against the Trump administration, blocking the data demand, but Rollins insists that non-compliant states will face consequences.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the Trump administration has requested that states provide identifying information about recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. This information includes Social Security numbers, birth dates, and home addresses.

The USDA claims this data is necessary to combat alleged fraud and protect American taxpayers.

However, critics argue that this data transfer could be an invasion of privacy. Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia have sued to block the request, citing concerns about sharing sensitive program data with the federal government. A federal judge has temporarily barred the administration from collecting this information from these states.

The USDA has stated that 28 states and Guam have complied with the request, primarily those with Republican governors.

If non-compliant states fail to provide the data, the USDA may withhold administrative funds, but not the benefits themselves. About 42 million Americans rely on SNAP, with an average monthly benefit of $190 per person.

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