California Attorney General Rob Bonta today secured a preliminary injunction from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California temporarily blocking the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s demand that states turn over personal and sensitive information about millions of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients. This July, Attorney General Bonta filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration alleging that this demand violates multiple federal laws and the U.S. Constitution.

“Let’s be crystal clear: The President is trying to hijack a nutrition program to fuel his mass surveillance agenda,” said Attorney General Bonta. “We won’t let that happen — not on our watch, and not in our communities. The Trump Administration can try all it wants to strong arm states into illegally handing over data, but we know the rule of law is on our side. We will continue to vigorously litigate this lawsuit and defend our communities, protect privacy, and ensure that SNAP remains a tool for fighting hunger — not a weapon for political targeting.”