In yet more news that is as expected as it is infuriating, New York Attorney General Letitia James has once again taken lawfare action to attack President Donald Trump. This time, she has gone further than ever before, and is taking legal action in an attempt to protect the provision of welfare benefits, namely food stamps, to illegal immigrants.
As background, President Trump has done his best to, through executive orders, shut off illegal aliens’ access to federal benefits programs, such as SNAP. In an executive order issued in late April, for example, the president directed the relevant authorities to cut off illegals from welfare benefits.
The order provided: “The Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Attorney General, shall develop guidance, rules, or other appropriate mechanisms to ensure appropriate eligibility verification is conducted for individuals receiving Federal public benefits within the meaning of 8 U.S.C. 1611(c) from private entities in a sanctuary jurisdiction, whether such verification is conducted by the private entity or by a governmental entity on its behalf.”
Further, the president has ordered that all states turn over data on whether illegal aliens are receiving SNAP benefits. In response, AG James has sued alongside numerous other blue-state AGs to block the Trump Administration from using the data or blocking illegals from utilizing the program.
Such was announced in a press release from the NY AG’s office, in which it characterized the data-gathering move, one that could be used both for deportations and to kick illegals off the program, as illegal. It said, “Attorney General James and the coalition argue that this highly sensitive data, which includes home addresses, Social Security numbers, recent locations, immigration statuses, and more, will likely be shared across federal agencies and used for immigration enforcement, in violation of the law. Attorney General James and the coalition are seeking a court judgment declaring the administration’s new policy illegal and preventing enforcement.”
Later, the press release describes the executive order at issue, noting, “In March, the president signed an executive order mandating data sharing across federal agencies. Since then, the Trump administration has embarked on a campaign of demanding access to Americans’ private personal information and using it for unauthorized purposes. As Attorney General James and the coalition assert, the administration clearly intends to use this data for immigration enforcement, in violation of the law. Both federal and state laws prohibit states from disclosing personally identifying SNAP data unless it is strictly necessary for the program.”
Additionally, the press release argued that anchor baby access to SNAP needs to be protected from the Trump Administration, ignoring that those benefits could be used to help the illegal alien parents indirectly. Her office said, “While non-citizens are generally not eligible for SNAP benefits, federal law allows non-citizen parents to apply for SNAP benefits on behalf of their citizen children.”
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In a statement released as part of the press release, NY AG James framed the lawsuit as being meant to protect illegal aliens from fearing deportation when they access SNAP, ignoring that she had said they can’t access it. She said, “Families should be able to get the food assistance they need without fearing that they will be targeted by this administration.”
She further added, on that same point of privacy and the like, “I will not allow the SNAP benefits that millions of New Yorkers count on to be put at risk. We are suing today to stop this illegal policy and protect New Yorkers’ privacy and access to food assistance.”
Watch Letitia James freak out after getting caught in a big lie: