New York Attorney General Letitia James, joined by 20 other states and Kentucky, filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's policy requiring states to disclose personal information of SNAP recipients to federal agencies. The policy violates privacy laws by demanding sensitive data like Social Security numbers for potential immigration enforcement. The coalition seeks a court injunction to stop the illegal data sharing.
The coalition is seeking a court order declaring the USDA's data demand illegal and enjoining the disclosure of SNAP recipients' personal information to other federal agencies for non-program purposes.
In-house legal teams should review all agreements where the company (as a state contractor, vendor, or data processor) handles SNAP or other public assistance program data. Focus on data sharing agreements, data processing addendums (DPAs), and any clauses governing the disclosure of personally identifiable information (PII) to federal agencies. Specific clauses to scrutinize include those permitting data sharing for 'program administration,' 'law enforcement purposes,' or 'compliance with federal directives.' Changes may be needed to explicitly prohibit the use of SNAP data for immigration enforcement absent a warrant or court order, require prior notice and an opportunity to object to such data transfers, and mandate data minimization (e.g., limiting shared data to only what is strictly necessary for SNAP administration). Contracts should also be updated to reflect the legal risks of complying with a potentially unlawful federal mandate and include indemnification provisions related to privacy violations.
Entity
United States Department of Agriculture
Also known as: USDA
Industry
OtherOfficial Press Release
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-takes-action-protect-sensitive-personal-information-tens
state of california et al v united states department of agri
https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/court-filings/state-of-california-et-al-v-united-states-department-of-agriculture-complaint-2025.pdf
New York Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://ag.ny.gov/press-releases
New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 20 other states sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture to stop its demand for personal information of SNAP recipients for immigration enforcement. The District Court issued a temporary restraining order blocking USDA's demand and preventing funding cuts, citing violations of laws protecting SNAP data confidentiality.
New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a consumer alert on May 18, 2026, warning businesses against engaging in price gouging on transportation services during the Long Island Rail Road strike. The alert reminds businesses that New York’s price gouging laws prohibit unconscionable price increases on essential goods and services during market disruptions, with potential penalties of up to $25,000 per violation. No specific enforcement action against a particular entity was announced, only a general warning for businesses and a call for consumers to report suspected price gouging.
New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a consumer alert on May 18, 2026, warning residents of potential price gouging by transportation service providers during the Long Island Rail Road strike. The alert reminds businesses that New York’s price gouging laws prohibit unconscionable price increases on essential services like transportation during market disruptions. No specific privacy violations or enforcement actions against individual entities were announced in the alert.
This press release announces New York Attorney General Letitia James leading a coalition of 21 state attorneys general, the District of Columbia, and Pennsylvania’s Governor in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court to stay a Fifth Circuit ruling that would reinstate in-person dispensing requirements for mifepristone, a medication used for abortion. The coalition argues the ruling is scientifically unsupported, would restrict telehealth access to reproductive care, and undermines state sovereignty over abortion policy post-Dobbs. This is not a privacy-related enforcement action, as the content addresses reproductive health policy rather than data privacy violations.
$5.0M
New York Attorney General Letitia James secured a $5 million settlement from cryptocurrency platform Uphold HQ, Inc. for promoting Cred’s fraudulent CredEarn investment product as safe and reliable, when Cred was making risky loans to uncreditworthy borrowers in China. Uphold also falsely claimed Cred had comprehensive insurance and promoted the product without registering as a broker or commodity broker-dealer under New York law. As part of the settlement, Uphold will pay $5 million to harmed investors, remit $545,189 from Cred’s bankruptcy to customers, improve due diligence policies for third-party products, and register as a broker with the OAG.
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the conviction of tax preparer and insurance agent Miles Burton Marshall for operating a decades-long Ponzi scheme that defrauded 988 investors out of more than $50 million. Marshall pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, Securities Fraud under the Martin Act, and Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, and faces four to 12 years in prison plus approximately $90 million in restitution to victims.