Trump Administration Shares Medicaid Data with DHS for Deportation Efforts

The Trump administration has taken a significant step in its immigration crackdown by providing deportation officials with personal data of millions of Medicaid enrollees. This data includes sensitive information such as immigration status, addresses, names, social security numbers, and claims data. The move, which was met with resistance from Medicaid officials, is part of a broader effort to locate and deport immigrants living in the U.S. without legal status.

An internal memo and emails obtained by the media show that Medicaid officials attempted to block the data transfer, citing legal and ethical concerns. Despite their objections, two top advisers to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered the dataset to be handed over to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) were given just 54 minutes to comply with the directive.

The dataset includes information from California, Illinois, Washington state, and Washington, D.C., all of which allow non-U.S. citizens to enroll in Medicaid programs funded by state taxpayer dollars. The transfer of this information comes as the Trump administration ramps up its enforcement efforts in Southern California, where federal authorities are conducting immigration raids with the assistance of National Guard troops and Marines.

Experts have raised concerns that the government could use this information to scuttle the hopes of migrants seeking green cards, permanent residency, or citizenship if they had ever obtained Medicaid benefits funded by the federal government. California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office expressed alarm at the potential misuse of the data, stating that it was “extremely concerning” and potentially unlawful.

Some California lawmakers also voiced their concerns. U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman, a Democrat, wrote on X that using a person’s need for medical care against them would only lead to more chaos and pain in communities. U.S. Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon defended the data sharing, stating that it was legal and in compliance with all applicable laws. However, he declined to answer questions about why the data was shared with DHS and how it would be used.

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin of DHS stated that the initiative was part of an effort to ensure that illegal aliens are not receiving Medicaid benefits meant for law-abiding Americans. This move appears to be part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to provide DHS with more data on migrants. In May, a federal judge refused to block the Internal Revenue Service from sharing immigrants’ tax data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to help agents locate and detain people living without legal status in the U.S.

CMS announced late last month that it was reviewing some states’ Medicaid enrollees to ensure federal funds have not been used to pay for coverage for people with “unsatisfactory immigration status.” As part of the review, California, Washington, and Illinois shared details about non-U.S. citizens who have enrolled in their state’s Medicaid program. The data includes addresses, names, social security numbers, and claims data for enrollees in those states.

CMS officials attempted to fight the data sharing request from Homeland Security, arguing that it would violate federal laws, including the Social Security Act and the Privacy Act of 1974. However, their legal arguments were not persuasive to Trump appointees at HHS, which oversees the Medicaid agency. Four days after the memo was sent, HHS officials directed the transfer of the data to DHS by 5:30 ET on June 10.

Former government officials described the move as unusual, as CMS does not typically share such sensitive information with other departments. Jeffrey Grant, a former career employee at CMS, stated that DHS has no role in anything related to Medicaid. Beyond her legal arguments, Vitolo expressed concern that sharing the information with DHS could have a chilling effect on states, prompting them to withhold information and guard against the legal risk of giving federal officials data that could be shared with deportation officials.

All states must legally provide emergency Medicaid services to non-U.S. citizens, including those who are lawfully present but have not yet met a five-year wait to apply for Medicaid. Seven states, along with the District, allow immigrants who are not living legally in the country to enroll in their state’s Medicaid program with full benefits. The states launched these programs during the Biden administration and said they would not bill the federal government to cover those immigrants’ health care costs.

The Trump administration has raised doubts about that pledge. Nixon, the HHS spokesperson, stated that the state’s Medicaid programs for immigrants “opened the floodgates for illegal immigrants to exploit Medicaid — and forced hardworking Americans to foot the bill.” All of the states involved have Democratic governors. Due to budget woes, Newsom announced earlier this year he would freeze enrollment into the program; Illinois will also shut down its program for roughly 30,000 non-U.S. citizens in July.

The remaining states — New York, Oregon, Minnesota, and Colorado — have not yet submitted the identifiable data to CMS as part of the review. Illinois health officials expressed deep concern over the findings that their state’s Medicaid customer information was shared with federal agencies outside of CMS, given their understanding that the data is protected under the federal Privacy Act of 1974 and other federal regulations.

In a statement issued after the publication of the story, California’s Newsom said the decision to share the data “will jeopardize the safety, health, and security of those who will undoubtedly be targeted by this abuse.” State health officials from the District and Washington did not respond to requests for comment.