Attorney General Jennifer Davenport joined a coalition of 23 states and DC in suing the Trump Administration over policy changes by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) that would allow broad sharing of TANF recipients' sensitive personal data with other federal agencies, including ICE. The lawsuit argues the policy violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the Spending Clause, and seeks to block its implementation.
The lawsuit seeks a court order declaring ACF's policy illegal and preventing it from being implemented.
In-house legal teams should review any contracts or agreements with federal agencies, particularly those involving the sharing of sensitive personal data such as TANF recipient information. They should ensure that data sharing clauses are narrowly tailored, include restrictions on secondary use, and comply with applicable federal laws like PRWORA. Additionally, contracts should include robust confidentiality and data minimization provisions, and clearly define permissible data uses to prevent unauthorized sharing with other agencies such as ICE.
Entity
Administration for Children and Families
Industry
OtherOfficial Press Release
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-sues-trump-administration-protect-vulnerable-new-yorkers
2026 0803 New York v ACF Complaint Filed
https://www.njoag.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/2026-0803_New-York-v-ACF-Complaint-Filed.pdf
New York Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://ag.ny.gov/press-releases
"the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) issued a notice"
"violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the Spending Clause of the U.S. Constitution"
"TANF recipients’ Social Security numbers, addresses, immigration status, and other sensitive personal data would be illegally shared across the federal government"
"joined a coalition of 23 other states and the District of Columbia"
Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 23 states and the District of Columbia in suing the Trump administration over policy changes by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) that would allow broad sharing of TANF recipients' sensitive personal data across federal agencies and potentially private organizations. The lawsuit alleges violations of the Administrative Procedure Act and the Spending Clause, seeking to block the policy.
New York Attorney General Letitia James joined a coalition lawsuit challenging NHTSA’s rollback of federal fuel economy standards. The coalition alleges that the final rule violates federal law and asks the court to strike it down; the press release describes no privacy violations or monetary penalty.
$400.0M
New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 47 other attorneys general secured a $400 million settlement with Sandoz Inc. and Fougera Pharmaceuticals Inc. over an alleged scheme to coordinate generic drug prices and reduce competition. The settlement provides for consumer compensation and requires Sandoz to implement antitrust compliance reforms, including annual staff training and a Chief Compliance Officer.
New York Attorney General Letitia James joined eight other attorneys general in issuing a statement criticizing a DOJ judicial misconduct complaint against nearly all federal district court judges in Minnesota. The release concerns judicial independence, not a privacy enforcement action; it announces no penalty or privacy-related remedy.
$5.9M
New York Attorney General Letitia James sued Evolutions Festival LLC and 845 Vibrations LLC over the cancellation of the 2025 festival and their failure to refund ticket holders and vendors. The state alleges violations of laws governing advance ticket-sale funds and seeks restitution, civil penalties of $5,000 for each of 1,185 alleged violations, and an order requiring a $500,000 bond before the organizers can hold future cultural events in New York.
$25K
New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a consumer alert warning businesses not to charge unconscionably excessive prices for essential goods and services during the storm emergency. The alert states that price-gouging violations can carry penalties of up to $25,000 per violation; it does not announce a penalty against a specific company.