Attorney General Tong Sues Trump Administration to Protect Connecticut Residents’ Personal Information

08/03/2026

AG Tong Takes Action to Stop Illegal Sharing of Millions of TANF Recipients’ Private Data 

(Hartford, CT)- Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 23 other states and the District of Columbia in suing the Trump administration over unlawful policy changes that would give the administration broad access to the sensitive private information of millions of families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits. In June 2026, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) issued a notice claiming to dramatically expand its oversight of state TANF programs, including by allowing ACF to share detailed records on TANF recipients with other federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Under ACF’s new policy, TANF recipients’ Social Security numbers, addresses, immigration status, and other sensitive personal data would be illegally shared across the federal government and even potentially with private organizations. Attorney General Tong and the coalition argue that ACF’s attempt to share millions of people’s data and implement new monitoring of states’ TANF programs violates the law and Constitution, and is a blatant effort to politically target those who are lawfully receiving critical TANF benefits.

“This is another unlawful power grab and has nothing to do with preventing fraud and abuse. Congress gave states the authority to manage TANF and Trump cannot change the rules to access private information to advance his political agenda. We’re suing to protect Connecticut families who rely on the TANF program for basic services, such as job training, childcare, addiction treatment, food, rent, and diapers," said Attorney General Tong.

Congress created TANF as part of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996. The law requires the federal government to provide block grants to states, territories, and tribal governments, which then have broad authority to use the funds for a variety of programs to provide assistance to low-income families with children. TANF funds support childcare subsidies, emergency housing for families fleeing domestic violence, emergency food assistance, support for grandparents caring for children, and other critical services. TANF currently provides over $16 billion every year to all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and several territories and tribal governments for these programs. As Attorney General Tong and the coalition assert in their lawsuit, it is one of the largest sources of direct assistance to low-income families and a crucial part of states’ efforts to fight poverty.

Connecticut receives approximately $265.9 million annually in TANF funding and provides approximately 12,700 Connecticut residents each month with basic recurring cash assistance. In Connecticut, in addition to cash assistance, TANF also funds numerous critical services including childcare assistance for family members preparing for employment, teen parents in need of childcare while completing high school, and families who are low-income and working, but need childcare to continue to do so. Additionally, the TANF block grant funds school readiness programs for young children, child welfare prevention and intervention services, addiction treatment supports, teen pregnancy prevention, and job training, placement, and retention services.

The law enacting TANF specifically requires states, not the federal government, to be responsible for verifying TANF applicants’ eligibility for benefits. 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. Attorney General Tong and the coalition argue that this policy would cause significant harm to the vulnerable communities that rely on TANF funds. Allowing TANF recipients’ private data to be illegally shared across the federal government would erode trust that states’ TANF programs have built with immigrant communities and deter those legally qualified to receive benefits from seeking out assistance. ACF’s policy could also lead to unlawful oversight requirements from the federal government – diverting resources that should be used on critical programs to help low-income families.

Attorney General Tong and the coalition argue that ACF’s new policy violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the Spending Clause of the U.S. Constitution by ignoring restrictions on data sharing in TANF programs and enacting arbitrary new conditions on federal funding. The lawsuit seeks a court order declaring ACF’s policy illegal and preventing it from being implemented.

Joining Attorney General Tong in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, as well as the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

Assistant Attorney General Katherine Zdrojeski is assisting Attorney General Tong in this matter.

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Media Contact:

Elizabeth Benton
elizabeth.benton@ct.gov

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