States sue to block federal access to personal data from low-income benefit recipients

A coalition of states and the District of Columbia filed a federal lawsuit on Aug. 3 in Washington, D.C., seeking to block a policy that would require or permit broader sharing of personal information from people who receive or apply for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF.

The records at issue may include Social Security numbers, home addresses, immigration information and other personal details. The states argue that broader access could expose the information to federal agencies or private organizations performing government functions, including uses beyond administering benefits.

The policy was described as facing an Aug. 11, 2026, implementation date and could affect millions of benefit recipients and applicants nationwide. The case could determine whether the federal government may obtain and share state-held TANF records for immigration-related enforcement or other government purposes.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has not yet issued a ruling on whether the policy may take effect. The lawsuit follows earlier litigation described by Illinois officials, who said a federal court rejected data-sharing terms that would have allowed disclosure to entities unrelated to federal benefits administration.