1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

The USDA is threatening to withhold food assistance from states unless they surrender complete SNAP recipient data, including names and immigration status. This demand exceeds the agency's statutory authority and contradicts what Congress authorized and funded. I urge you to intervene immediately to protect both the integrity of the SNAP program and the privacy rights of millions of Americans. SNAP currently serves one in eight Americans, including children, seniors, people with disabilities, and working families. The administration's ultimatum is clear: surrender private constituent data or vulnerable people lose access to food. This is not a legitimate fraud prevention measure. It is an unauthorized expansion of executive power that weaponizes a critical nutrition program. Congress established SNAP to address food insecurity, not to create a surveillance database. The program operates through federal funding distributed to states, which administer benefits according to federal eligibility standards. Nothing in the authorizing legislation permits the USDA to condition funding on the collection and transfer of detailed personal information beyond what is necessary to verify eligibility and prevent fraud. States already report required data on program participation and outcomes. This demand places states in an impossible position: comply with an unlawful directive and violate their residents' privacy, or refuse and watch families go hungry. Neither option is acceptable. The consequences extend beyond immediate food insecurity. Families may disenroll from SNAP out of fear, even if they are legally eligible, leading to increased hunger and its associated health costs. I ask you to take immediate action to clarify congressional intent. Issue a public statement affirming that SNAP funding must flow to states without conditions beyond those Congress established. Demand that the USDA rescind this unauthorized data collection requirement. If necessary, introduce or support legislation that explicitly prohibits conditioning nutrition assistance on data demands that exceed statutory requirements. Millions of your constituents depend on SNAP for basic nutrition. They deserve both food security and privacy protection.