WASHINGTON (BN24) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will gain access to the personal data of nearly 79 million Americans enrolled in Medicaid under a newly revealed agreement aimed at ramping up immigration enforcement across the country, according to a document obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.
The agreement, signed earlier this week between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), permits ICE agents to search a trove of sensitive information — including home addresses, racial and ethnic background, birth dates, and Social Security numbers — to locate individuals suspected of residing in the country unlawfully.
The arrangement, which had not been previously disclosed to the public, marks a significant escalation in President Donald Trump’s ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration and has sparked alarm among immigration advocates and privacy experts. The data-sharing initiative could heighten fears among low-income families and immigrants already hesitant to seek medical care or government assistance for fear of being targeted.
According to the agreement, ICE will use CMS data “to receive identity and location information on aliens identified by ICE,” bolstering the agency’s ability to conduct targeted raids across the United States. While the document does not allow ICE to download the information in bulk, agents will be granted live access to the database from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, through September 9.
A CMS official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, expressed concern about the agency’s role in the operation. “They are trying to turn us into immigration agents,” the official said, criticizing what they described as an unprecedented use of a public health database for deportation purposes.
The Medicaid program, jointly funded by states and the federal government, provides health care coverage to the nation’s poorest residents, including millions of children. While undocumented immigrants are barred from enrolling in regular Medicaid, they are entitled under federal law to access emergency Medicaid, which covers lifesaving care in hospitals regardless of immigration status.
Health and Human Services officials have publicly insisted the deal is primarily intended to identify individuals who may be fraudulently receiving Medicaid benefits. But the agreement itself clearly outlines deportation as a primary function, stating that the information will help ICE locate “the location of aliens” across the U.S.
Civil liberties advocates warn that the program will likely chill immigrant access to health care and increase fear in vulnerable communities. Past enforcement policies have already made schools, hospitals, and courthouses feel like high-risk areas for undocumented families.
Photographs and documents detailing the agreement were not published alongside the announcement, and there was no public rollout or news briefing. The covert nature of the arrangement has only deepened criticism about transparency under the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
