The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to challenge the Trump Administration’s order requiring collection of private, personal data from county recipients of federal food programs that could expose them to immigration raids.
On Tuesday, Sept. 9, the board voted 5-0 to direct the Office of the County Counsel to either initiate a lawsuit, or join the state’s legal action against the mandate from the U.S Department of Agriculture. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with a coalition of 21 other states, are in court opposing the sharing of data on the grounds that the policy violates federal privacy laws and exceeds the USDA’s statutory authority. Privacy and hunger relief groups also sued the USDA.
Board members fear if the USDA gets a hold of such requested data, such as immigration status, mailing address, birthdate, Social Security number and even shopping habits, it can be passed along to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Department of Homeland Security and expose immigrant families who may have undocumented members in their households to detention and arrests.
The new policy requires states to hand over personal data on applicants and recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for the last five years. The county would have to file the data with the state, who would send it to the federal government.
SNAP, once called the “food stamps” program, provides monthly benefits through an EBT card for low-income individuals and families to buy food at authorized retailers. In Los Angeles County, the program serves 1.5 million recipients.
“It’s clear that while our federal government seeks to further erode public trust, we must stay united and ensure that every resident, regardless of immigration status, is able to safely access the essential services they have a legal right to,” said First District Supervisor Hilda Solis, who authored the motion.
While undocumented immigrants are not eligible to receive these federal benefits, the county reported that many non-citizens with certain legal status are eligible. Also, parents who are in SNAP may legally apply for benefits for their U.S. citizen children.
Also, Solis’s motion points out that some low-income families in SNAP include some members who are citizens and some who are not. These are called mixed status households. Both non-citizens with legal status, and for example, parents who are not citizens but their children are, could be targeted by roving patrols of ICE and DHS, especially if their status and address information becomes known to these federal agencies.
The arrests of breadwinners during the last few months of raids in L.A. County were separated from their spouses and children. Those left behind are even less able to acquire food and pay rent. With information given to federal agencies from SNAP rolls, these situations could become more common, the motion warns.
“This could result in more family separations in the county, leaving vulnerable children without the essential support they need from their parents or guardians,” the motion concluded.
While the numbers in SNAP have remained steady, the county reported a decrease in certain parts of the county for new enrollees, especially those parents who may be undocumented but whose children are U.S. citizens, said Jackie Contreras, director of the county Department of Public Social Services.
The county is holding workshops to get more eligible families to enroll in the food program, but recently many did not show up, said Solis. Enrolling can be done through the mail, so in-person visits are not required.
“It is causing a chilling effect,” said Solis, whereby immigrant families skip enrolling in the food assistance program because they are afraid of ICE. “This was eye-popping for me to see the fear of people thinking if they should even walk into this place.”
Time is running out for the county.
On Aug. 20, the USDA issued formal warnings if a state does not comply with the new rules. If not, the USDA after 30 days can suspend or cancel SNAP funding.
“This forces states and our county to face an impossible choice: providing assistance to the most vulnerable residents or protecting their privacy,” Solis said.
In 2024, SNAP served on average 41.7 million participants per month. SNAP spending by the federal government totaled $99.8 billion and benefits averaged $187.20 per participant per month, according to the USDA.
California receives about $1 billion annually from the federal government to serve millions in the state.
“Nutrition assistance is not just a benefit. It is a lifeline,” said Gabriel Rodriguez, who spoke to the board during public comment.