WASHINGTON (BN24) — President Donald Trump’s administration has provided deportation authorities with personal data on millions of Medicaid enrollees, including immigration status, in a move that could accelerate immigration enforcement nationwide. The transfer, revealed through internal emails and memos obtained by The Associated Press, has sparked alarm among health officials and lawmakers who warn the action could violate federal privacy laws and compromise the integrity of the Medicaid program.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) was ordered Tuesday to hand over the sensitive data to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) within 54 minutes, despite strong objections from Medicaid officials. The records involve residents from California, Illinois, Washington state, and Washington, D.C.—jurisdictions that allow undocumented immigrants to access state-funded Medicaid programs.
While CMS staff argued the disclosure violated the Social Security Act and the Privacy Act of 1974, two senior advisers to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. insisted the data be transferred. The dataset reportedly includes names, Social Security numbers, addresses, and claims history of enrollees, potentially aiding federal efforts to locate and deport immigrants in the U.S. without legal status.
Experts also warned that the data could be used to deny green cards or U.S. citizenship to immigrants who had accessed any federally funded Medicaid benefits, even if done legally or inadvertently.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office issued a sharply worded response: “This potential data transfer brought to our attention by the AP is extremely concerning and, if true, potentially unlawful.” Newsom highlighted ongoing military-assisted immigration raids in Los Angeles and said the privacy of all Californians is at risk.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman added on X, formerly Twitter: “We should never use a person’s need to go to the doctor against them. This will only lead to more chaos and pain in our communities.”
A spokesperson for HHS, Andrew Nixon, defended the move as legally permissible, stating the agency was acting “within its legal authority… to ensure that Medicaid benefits are reserved for individuals who are lawfully entitled to receive them.” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin echoed that sentiment, linking the move to Trump’s campaign promise to “protect Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries” amid what she described as a Biden-era flood of “illegal aliens.”
The CMS data transfer is part of a broader review triggered by Trump’s executive order issued Feb. 19, titled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders.” According to a memo signed by CMS Deputy Director Sara Vitolo, CMS is examining whether states used federal Medicaid funds to support individuals with “unsatisfactory immigration status.” The June 6 memo details how several Democratic-led states voluntarily submitted Medicaid enrollment data to CMS as part of this review.
The data request and transfer have drawn scrutiny from former government officials. “DHS has no role in anything related to Medicaid,” said Jeffrey Grant, a former CMS career official. Vitolo’s memo warned that states might reconsider future cooperation if they perceive increased legal risk, particularly if CMS data is used for deportation purposes.
At least seven states—California, New York, Washington, Oregon, Illinois, Minnesota, and Colorado—along with Washington, D.C., have implemented programs allowing full Medicaid coverage for non-citizens using only state funds. Trump administration officials, however, have cast doubt on whether federal dollars are truly excluded from these efforts.
In response to the revelations, Illinois health officials issued a statement emphasizing their belief that the shared data is protected under federal privacy laws and should not have been disclosed to federal enforcement agencies.
Gov. Newsom condemned the action, stating: “This decision to share immigrant Medicaid data with federal immigration enforcement officials will jeopardize the safety, health, and security of those who will undoubtedly be targeted by this abuse.”
While Illinois and several other states have already shared data, others—like New York, Oregon, Minnesota, and Colorado—have not submitted identifiable enrollee information, according to a public health official familiar with CMS’s ongoing request.
CMS’s directive represents a marked shift in how health data is managed, with critics warning it sets a dangerous precedent that could dissuade immigrants from seeking medical care or enrolling in public health programs.
As DHS ramps up enforcement in Southern California and other regions, concerns continue to mount that confidential medical data may be weaponized against vulnerable populations, deepening distrust between immigrant communities and public institutions.
