New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference, Sept. 21, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman, File)
The lawsuit is not the first time James, a longtime Trump foe, has sparred with Trump in court since the start of his second presidential term.
To date, she's joined Democratic attorneys general in more than a dozen other lawsuits challenging his early actions.
Bonta, for his part, described the USDA's new demands as a cruel bait-and-switch from the Trump administration.
He noted that the data the administration is allegedly attempting to mine comes from a decades-old aid program designed to help ensure that low-income families have access to food.
"SNAP recipients provided this information to get help to feed their families—not to be entered into a government surveillance database, or be used as targets for the president's inhumane immigration agenda," Bonta said on Tuesday.
"This kind of targeting doesn't make America safer. It threatens kids' access to school meals, it jeopardizes wildfire survivors' access to relief," he added.
"And it sends a chilling message: if you reach out for help, you may be punished for it."
100 DAYS OF INJUNCTIONS, TRIALS AND 'TEFLON DON': TRUMP SECOND TERM MEETS ITS BIGGEST TESTS IN COURT
Trump's USDA is moving to ensure that illegal immigrants do not receive food stamps. (AP/Getty)
The lawsuit comes as James and other Democratic-led states have taken aim at Trump's sweeping policy goals and executive orders in court, which they describe as excessive and unconstitutional.
Since his inauguration in January, Bonta noted, Democrat-led states have filed 35 lawsuits against the Trump administration.
Bonta said Monday that the USDA requirement is a "clear violation" of the "Spending Clause, federal privacy statutes, and the USDA's own authority," prompting them to file suit.
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"President Trump made promises to the American people and now he's breaking them," the group said Monday.
"He's rewriting the rules, targeting the most vulnerable and expecting states to fall in line."
Breanne Deppisch is a national politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the Trump administration, with a focus on the Justice Department, FBI, and other national news.
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