A federal judge has turned down a bid from 22 states to block the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from accessing welfare data.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg of Washington said on Sept. 28 that the states failed to establish that they would likely have standing to sue over the move, or that they would be irreparably harmed absent a block on the access—two factors necessary for a preliminary injunction.
Standing, or indications the states are being injured by the access and that a court can address the injury, is lacking in part because states have not provided sufficient evidence that disclosure of the welfare data to DHS will damage public trust in a federal welfare program and lead to reduced participation, which the states said would cost them money because they would have to provide services to the affected individuals….