The U.S. Department of Agriculture asked for the personal information of all Americans receiving food stamps. Idaho is among the 27 states that complied with the request.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare sent the name, address, date of birth and social security numbers of 141,000 food stamps recipients to the federal government. It also shared the immigration status of family members, as well as household income and expenses.
IDHW said it had sent the data for 2025 and was working on compiling the information of recipients from the last five years.
Under federal law, people without legal status do not qualify for SNAP benefits, but they can apply for their U.S. citizen children to receive assistance. Recipients who live in households with mixed status family members also share that information in their application.
The request is part of the Trump administration’s order to eliminate information silos and improve government efficiency.
In October, 21 democratic-led states filed a lawsuit against the USDA, saying the data grab violates federal privacy law and is part of the president’s mass surveillance campaign.
Immigration advocates also fear the sensitive information will be shared with law enforcement agencies, such as ICE, to go after undocumented people.
A spokesperson for the USDA declined to share any information on the purpose of collecting immigration status data, saying they did not comment on pending litigation.
This month, it notified states it would not issue SNAP funds until the government reopens, affecting more than 130,000 Idahoans, including 52,000 children.
Find a map of food banks and nutritional assistance across Idaho here.
