Michigan faces DOJ lawsuit over failure to share SNAP data with USDA

A food aid data fight grows

Michigan is facing a new Justice Department lawsuit over SNAP records, adding another legal fight to a program that helps many families buy groceries each month during hard times.

Federal officials say the U.S. Department of Agriculture needs the data to check eligibility and benefit decisions. Michigan and other states have raised privacy and legal concerns.

Four states are named

The lawsuit targets Michigan, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota after federal officials said those states refused to provide requested SNAP applicant data to the USDA in May after earlier requests.

The Justice Department is asking courts to issue injunctions requiring each state agency to turn over five years of records tied to food assistance applications and eligibility reviews.

What the USDA says it needs

USDA says the records would help review whether states are properly administering SNAP and enforcing eligibility decisions for residents who receive food benefits each month.

Federal officials also say the data could help identify overpayments, improper payments, waste, and fraud. The states dispute whether the USDA can demand information in that form from their systems without clearer legal authority.

The request began earlier

The data fight did not start with this lawsuit. In May 2025, the Trump administration asked states to provide information about people enrolled in SNAP for review.

Soon after, a coalition of state attorneys general challenged the demand in court. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel was among those who joined that earlier legal push alongside other attorneys.

A court blocked collection

A federal court temporarily blocked the USDA from collecting personal SNAP applicant data from many states in September 2025 while the earlier lawsuit moved forward.

That ruling gave states more room to resist the request. It also kept the privacy and program oversight dispute alive before the latest Justice Department lawsuits were filed in late June.

DOJ says states refused again

The Justice Department says USDA again requested SNAP applicant data from Michigan, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota in May, but the states did not comply after earlier disputes.

Federal officials argue the repeated refusals create a risk that improper payments and fraud may go undetected. The states have not accepted that view in court filings and statements.

Privacy is a major issue

SNAP files can contain personal details such as names, addresses, birthdates, benefit histories, payment amounts, and other information used to decide eligibility for food assistance for active households.

States challenging federal demands have warned that broad data transfers could expose families to privacy risks. They argue sensitive records should not move without clear legal authority.

SNAP is shared government work

SNAP is federally funded, but states help run the program by checking eligibility, issuing benefits, and managing local application systems for residents who apply in each community.

That shared structure creates tension when federal agencies seek records from state systems. Washington says it needs oversight, while states say program data has legal limits and privacy boundaries.

Fraud claims shape the case

The Justice Department says data from 28 compliant jurisdictions indicates billions of dollars per year in SNAP funds may be going to overpayments and fraud.

That claim is central to the government’s push for access. State officials and advocates say fraud prevention must still respect privacy laws, data safeguards, and existing court orders before sensitive records are released.

Little-known fact: Twenty-eight states have already shared five years of SNAP applicant data, revealing billions of dollars in potential overpayments and fraud each year.

Michigan is in the spotlight

Michigan is part of the new lawsuit because federal officials say it refused to provide the requested five years of applicant data to the USDA after a renewed May request.

The case could affect how Michigan handles SNAP records going forward. A court order could force disclosure, while a state victory could preserve current privacy limits.

An injunction is the goal

The Justice Department is not asking only for a warning. It wants court orders requiring the four state SNAP agencies to provide the data to USDA in full.

If a judge grants that request, the states would have to comply unless a higher court pauses or reverses the order during later appeals after the filing deadlines.

Families may watch closely

For SNAP households, the legal fight may feel distant, but the records at issue come from applications used to obtain food benefits for daily needs and basic household support.

That makes trust important. Families may want fraud controls, but they may also worry about how personal information is stored, shared, and protected by government systems.

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The next step is in court

The lawsuit moves the SNAP data fight into another round of federal court review, with Michigan, USDA, and DOJ arguing over authority and program duties.

The case will test how far federal oversight can reach into state benefit files. It will also show whether privacy concerns limit access to applicant records for food assistance programs.

Why did a Trump-appointed federal judge reject the DOJ lawsuit? See what the ruling could mean for the legal fight.

Do you think states should face legal action if they do not share SNAP data with USDA? Let us know in the comments.

This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.

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