In a statement Monday, Jennings said the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted a preliminary injunction preventing the federal government from collecting the information.
Earlier this year, Jennings joined a coalition of states in suing the Trump administration over its request for personal and sensitive data related to applicants and recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The lawsuit argued the request violated federal law.
According to Jennings’ office, the court found the administration’s demand was likely unlawful because officials had indicated the data could be disclosed or used for purposes unrelated to administering federal benefits programs.
The coalition returned to court after the administration again threatened to withhold administrative funding from states that did not comply with a proposed data and security protocol from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees SNAP.
In its latest order, the court said USDA cannot collect states’ records without an agreed-upon protocol. The court also said states were justified in rejecting the proposed protocol because it would have allowed data to be shared with entities not involved in administering federal benefits programs, according to Jennings’ office.
In a statement, Jennings said the ruling protects residents’ personal information and ensures continued access to benefits while the case moves forward.
An average of about 119,000 people in Delaware receive SNAP benefits each month, including roughly 60,000 families and 45,000 children, according to the attorney general’s office. That represents about 11% of the state’s population.
SNAP is a federally funded, state-administered program that provides food assistance to low-income individuals and families nationwide.
The case remains ongoing.