James Boasberg, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, rejected a multi-state lawsuit seeking to stop the Trump administration from sharing certain welfare-recipient information with the Department of Homeland Security. 

The lawsuit, which was brought by 22 states, two governors’ offices and the District of Columbia, challenged a policy change that allowed data collected through the Temporary Assistance for Need Families (TANF) to be shared with DHS and other government entities for the purposes of ensuring program integrity, Red State reported. 

This included verifying citizenship and immigration status. The states had argued that immigrant and mixed-status families would stop participating in the welfare program, fearing information they provided would be used for immigration enforcement. This would, in turn, result in families seeking more relief from state programs. 

Boasberg rejected the plaintiffs' motion for emergency relief, concluding they had not demonstrated irreparable harm without an injunction. His ruling didn't consider the merits of the case.