AG Davenport joins lawsuit challenging Trump administration’s TANF data-sharing policy
TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport has joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general and the District of Columbia in suing the Trump administration over a federal policy that would expand government access to the personal information of families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits.
The lawsuit challenges a June 2026 policy issued by the Administration for Children and Families that would allow the agency to share detailed records on TANF recipients with other federal agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
According to the lawsuit, the policy would permit the sharing of Social Security numbers, addresses, immigration status and other sensitive personal information across the federal government and potentially with private organizations.
“The Trump Administration has tried time and again to weaponize every aspect of government as part of their reckless immigration enforcement efforts. Now, they want to misuse a program intended to help vulnerable families and children as a tool for harassing immigrants,” Davenport said. “Federal law sets clear limits on the sharing of sensitive personal data, but the Administration would obliterate those guardrails and violate the privacy of families that are just trying to make ends meet.”
The coalition argues the policy violates federal law and the U.S. Constitution by expanding federal oversight of state-administered TANF programs and imposing new conditions on states receiving federal funding.
TANF, known in New Jersey as Work First New Jersey, provides funding for programs including child care subsidies, emergency housing for families fleeing domestic violence, emergency food assistance and support for grandparents caring for children. The program is funded through a $540 million block grant in New Jersey’s fiscal year 2027 budget and, as of April 2026, served more than 24,000 New Jersey residents.
The lawsuit argues that states—not the federal government—are responsible for determining eligibility for TANF benefits under federal law. It also contends that allowing recipients’ personal information to be shared with other agencies could discourage eligible families from seeking assistance.
The coalition is asking the court to declare the policy unlawful and block its implementation.
In addition to New Jersey, the lawsuit was filed by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin, along with the District of Columbia and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
