A coalition of 20 states and Washington, D.C., sued the Trump administration to block expanded access to low-income families’ data by immigration authorities. The lawsuit challenges a rule tied to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, which more than $16 billion flows to states, D.C., and tribes for cash assistance and job training. The states argue the administration plans to share recipients’ immigration status, Social Security numbers, and other personal information with other government parts and potentially with private entities. New York Attorney General Letitia James described the move as shifting antipoverty programs against the people they serve. The case follows prior court action where a judge blocked the administration from withholding TANF and related subsidy funds from some Democratic-controlled states after concerns about withholding based on “reason to believe” recipients were in the country illegally. For higher education, the lawsuit signals continued tension between federal program administration, immigration enforcement, and the flow of benefits that can affect student affordability and campus support services dependent on state-level TANF-related initiatives.