RFK Jr team forced Medicaid officials to reveal the immigration status on millions of enrollees to DHS: report
The Trump administration has handed over the personal data of immigrant Medicaid enrollees to deportation officials, the Associated Press reports.
Included in the data are the immigration statuses of millions of Medicaid enrollees, which could be used to i dentify individuals for deportation as part of President Donald Trump 's hard-line immigration crackdown.
This has caused notable concern among officials in California due to the raids in Los Angeles by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, supported by troops, which have ignited protests and civil unrest.
An internal memo and emails obtained by the AP show that Medicaid officials unsuccessfully attempted to block the data transfer, citing legal and ethical concerns.
They were overruled by two top advisers to Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr., who ordered that the dataset be handed over to the Department of Homeland Security, the emails reveal.
The data consists of the details of people living in California, Illinois, Washington State, and Washington, D.C., all so-called 'sanctuary states' that permit non-U.S. citizens to enroll in Medicaid programs funded solely by state taxpayer dollars.
California Governor Gavin Newsom 's office expressed concern that the data would be used for immigration raids supported by the National Guard troops and Marines that President Trump deployed in Los Angeles.
'We deeply value the privacy of all Californians,' a statement said.
'This potential data transfer brought to our attention by the AP is extremely concerning, and if true, potentially unlawful, particularly given numerous headlines highlighting potential improper federal use of personal information and federal actions to target the personal information of Americans.'
Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Andrew Nixon said the data was shared legally, 'to ensure that Medicaid benefits are reserved for individuals who are lawfully entitled to receive them.'
The data includes addresses, names, Social Security numbers and claims data for enrollees in those states, the AP reported, based on details of the memo and two people familiar with what the states sent to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Officials at CMS were given just 54 minutes on Tuesday to comply with the RFK Jr. team's directive, the outlet reported.
The AP states that Nixon wouldn't answer questions about how Homeland Security would use the data, and DHS officials did not respond to requests for comment.
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Labour minister who claimed majority of Channel migrants were women and children now says he was only talking about ONE boat - as nearly 1,000 more cross to UK
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'On @bbcquestiontime I shared a story from my visit to the Border Security Command about a dinghy that arrived mostly carrying women, children and babies who had suffered horrific burns. 'I'm happy to clarify this given how this is now being misrepresented. 'Labour committed new funding this week to secure our borders while Reform have voted against giving our police the powers needed to smash the gangs fuelling this vile trade.' At her spending review on Wednesday, Rachel Reeves pledged that migrants would be moved out of hotel accommodation by the time of the next general election, due in 2029. Ms Reeves also promised £1 billion of savings by speeding up the asylum system, along with £280 million investment in future years for the new Border Security Command. Latest figures show £3.1 billion was spent on housing asylum seekers in hotels in 2023-24, out of a total asylum support bill of £4.7 billion. 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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
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Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
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Previously, she had struggled to stick to a diet after having moments of weakness when she tried to cut everything out at once. But this time, she took a different approach - slowly increasing her exercise and cutting down the number of takeaways she was eating. In time, she established an entirely new routine. Kaitlyn goes to the gym four times a week and eats a high protein diet with tons of fruits and vegetables (pictured now) 'I now look at exercise as a stress reliever, not a chore,' she added. 'It's going to suck in the moment but I'm going to feel so much better later on.' In 2022, after two years of eating more healthily and steadily shaving inches off her figure, Kaitlyn's weight had plateaued at around 240 pounds - leading her to take more drastic measures. She opted for a vertical sleeve gastrectomy weight loss operation - costing a whopping $28,000. The procedure saw medics cut away 80 per cent of Kaitlyn's stomach, which significantly reduced her appetite. Despite the staggering price tag of the surgery, Kaitlyn was able to use her health insurance to cover her medical costs. Before long, she had dropped down to just 160lbs, meaning she had lost a total of 120lbs - more than eight stone - since starting her journey. However, it hasn't always been easy, as she was left feeling judged and alienated by her friends for having the operation done. 'I did get judged a lot, I lost friends over it, people couldn't understand why I wanted to get weight loss surgery and it's because I knew I needed that tool to help me,' she said. 'I do get looked at a lot differently now. When people see pictures of me back then they think it's photo shopped and I say "No that is me!"' Now Kaitlyn has continued to maintain her athletic figure by watching what she eats and exercising on a daily basis. For breakfast, she will usually have avocado on toast with an egg and a sausage. She will also snack on beef sticks, fruits, yogurts and smoothies rather than opting for ultra-sugary beverages. For dinner, Kaitlyn - who now hits the gym four times a week - will typically have chicken and vegetables with a dessert as she admitted to having a 'sweet tooth'. 'I had so much sugar before surgery it actually blows my mind that I ate that much,' she added. After having the VSG surgery, doctors told her that her fertility would skyrocket, but Kaitlyn said she didn't want to go on hormonal contraception because she wanted her body to adjust naturally. Three months after having the operation, Kaitlyn found out she was pregnant with a little girl and was overjoyed by the news. She said: 'I have my daughter now so I have the family that I always wanted and I don't think she would be here if I didn't have my surgery and I'm able to keep up with her. 'My husband is very proud of me. We were together before I had my surgery so he has seen me feel really bad [about myself] and he's seen the confidence just come to me [afterwards].' Kaitlyn says it makes her feel 'really emotional' that she can now run around with her daughter - something she would have never been able to do before.
