FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — Kentucky, alongside 23 states and the District of Columbia, have joined a lawsuit to block the Trump administration's "unlawful policy changes that would give broad access to sensitive and private information of American families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits," a press release announced Monday.
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announced in June changes to the oversight of state TANF programs, including allowing the administration to share detailed records on program recipients. Data includes Social Security numbers, immigration status, and other data that would be shared across the federal government "and even potentially with private organizations," the release said.
“I joined this lawsuit because no Kentuckian – and no American – should have to worry about their confidential and personal information being shared unlawfully,” Gov. Beshear said in the release. “Social Security numbers, addresses and more are private – and we’re fighting back against the Trump administration’s unlawful actions to ensure they stay that way.”
TANF was created as part of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, and requires the US government to provide grants to states, tribal governments and territories.
These areas then have broad authority to use those grants to provide support to low-income families and their children.
"The law enacting TANF specifically requires states, not the federal government, to be responsible for verifying TANF applicants’ eligibility for benefits," the release said. "Yet ACF now claims the agency has broad authority to oversee states’ TANF programs and share recipients’ private data with other federal agencies to double check their immigration status."
Other states in the lawsuit include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin, as well as the District of Columbia.
