Trump gives Homeland Security access to immigrant Medicaid data in Washington, AP reports

Yahoo

14-06-2025

The Trump administration gave federal immigration authorities access to personal data on millions of Medicaid enrollees this week, including information from Washington, according to internal documents obtained by the Associated Press.
Washington is one of a handful of states that allow undocumented immigrants to receive health benefits.
The data transfer was ordered by two top advisers to U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., despite opposition from Medicaid officials who warned it may violate federal privacy laws.
Records show that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) were given less than an hour on Tuesday to comply with the directive from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Emails and a memo obtained by the AP show that CMS officials tried to block the request, citing concerns under the Social Security Act and the Privacy Act of 1974.
However, Trump appointees overruled those objections.
The information shared with DHS included names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and Medicaid claims data from enrollees in California, Washington, Illinois, and Washington, D.C.
All of these areas offer state-funded Medicaid programs for non-U.S. citizens and have committed not to bill the federal government for those services.
The timing of the transfer coincided with a ramp-up of federal immigration enforcement in Southern California, including raids involving National Guard and Marines in Los Angeles.
The move is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to give immigration authorities access to more data on undocumented immigrants.
In May, a federal judge declined to stop the IRS from sharing immigrant tax records with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
CMS announced last month it would begin reviewing Medicaid enrollment data from several states to ensure that federal funds were not being used to support coverage for individuals with 'unsatisfactory immigration status.'
The review was triggered by Trump's February 19 executive order, 'Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders.'
In response to the AP's reporting, California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office issued a statement calling the data transfer 'extremely concerning' and potentially unlawful. 'We deeply value the privacy of all Californians,' the statement read.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman also voiced alarm, writing on X, 'We should never use a person's need to go to the doctor against them.'
ACLU of Washington sent KIRO 7 News the following statement:
'We are still waiting for complete and detailed information, but it's clear that great harm has been done. That this data was shared with the federal government and with ICE is a gross violation of Washington residents' privacy, a violation of the promises HCA made to enrollees, and a flagrant misuse of this data. Washington immigrants enrolled in the Apple Health expansion program with the expectation they would receive critical services that we all need to thrive and that their personal data would be protected – and the state promised as such, publicly and on its website. That promise was not kept. The community and advocates have long demanded a risk analysis and mitigation plan to protect the privacy and well-being of enrollees, and the state has not taken meaningful action responsive to the request. The state must treat this moment with the urgency it deserves and protect communities who put their faith and trust in a system that promised to protect them.'
In contrast, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Andrew Nixon, defended the action. 'HHS acted entirely within its legal authority,' he said, describing the data transfer as necessary to ensure only lawful residents receive Medicaid.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the department is working with CMS to 'ensure that illegal aliens are not receiving Medicaid benefits that are meant for law-abiding Americans.'
Critics say the decision could have far-reaching consequences for both immigrant communities and the states that provide them with health coverage.
Sara Vitolo, deputy director of Medicaid, authored a June 6 memo warning that sharing personal data with DHS could deter states from cooperating with future federal requests and expose them to legal risk.
Vitolo also wrote that sharing the data would violate long-standing policy and federal law, which restricts CMS from distributing personal health information for non-Medicaid administration purposes.
Despite those concerns, HHS leadership directed the data to be transferred by June 10.
Former CMS officials described the decision as highly unusual.
'DHS has no role in anything related to Medicaid,' said Jeffrey Grant, a former CMS career employee.
California, Illinois, and Washington provided CMS with the requested data.
Other states that allow undocumented immigrants to access full Medicaid coverage — New York, Oregon, Minnesota, and Colorado — had not yet submitted information as of this week, according to a public health official familiar with the process.
Newsom, whose state plans to freeze new enrollment into its immigrant health care program due to budget constraints, later said the data handover 'will jeopardize the safety, health, and security of those who will undoubtedly be targeted by this abuse.'
Illinois is also planning to shut down its program next month for approximately 30,000 undocumented enrollees.
Health officials in Illinois, Washington, and D.C. did not respond to AP's request for comment.