20 States Sue Trump Over Medicaid Data Shared Illegally/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Twenty U.S. states are suing the Trump administration for sharing private Medicaid data with deportation officials. California’s attorney general says this violates federal privacy laws like HIPAA. The data includes names, Social Security numbers, and immigration status, potentially aiding mass deportations.
QUICK LOOK – Trump’s Medicaid Data Sharing Lawsuit: Quick Facts
- 20 states sued Trump administration over sharing private Medicaid data with DHS.
- Data includes names, addresses, Social Security numbers, immigration status, and medical claims.
- CMS officials warned release could violate federal laws.
- HHS defended action as legal and necessary to prevent misuse of Medicaid funds.
- Democrats demand data sharing halt and deletion of records already transferred.
20 States Sue Trump Administration Over Release of Medicaid Data to Deportation Officials
Deep Look
WASHINGTON (AP) — California and 19 other states filed suit Tuesday against the Trump administration, accusing it of violating federal privacy laws by sharing Medicaid enrollees’ private health data with immigration authorities to aid deportation efforts.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the lawsuit, alleging that federal officials improperly released sensitive records belonging to millions of Medicaid participants — including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, immigration status, and medical claims data — to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The states contend this action breaches longstanding federal protections under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
“This is about flouting seven decades of federal law, policy, and practice that make clear personal health care data is confidential,” Bonta said during a news conference. “It can only be shared in narrow circumstances that benefit public health or the Medicaid program itself.”
Data Shared to Target Immigrants
The Associated Press first reported in June that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., ordered the release of the data. The transfer targeted individuals enrolled in state-funded Medicaid programs in California, Illinois, Washington State, and Washington, D.C.—jurisdictions where non-citizens are permitted to access Medicaid coverage funded exclusively by state dollars.
Experts say the data could be weaponized to help DHS locate and deport migrants as part of the Trump administration’s stepped-up enforcement operations.
“This is deeply concerning,” Bonta said. “It’s an unprecedented intrusion into the private lives of people seeking medical care.”
Internal Resistance to Data Sharing
The move traces back to May, when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced plans to examine whether federal funds were improperly used to cover individuals with “unsatisfactory immigration status.”
According to a June 6 memo obtained by the AP, CMS officials initially resisted sharing the data, citing potential violations of federal statutes including the Social Security Act and the Privacy Act of 1974.
However, that legal position was ultimately overruled by Trump administration appointees at HHS. Four days after the CMS memo circulated, HHS ordered the data transfer to DHS by June 10, according to internal emails reviewed by the AP.
HHS Defends the Data Release
Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for HHS, defended the administration’s actions, insisting the department acted within its legal authority.
“HHS acted entirely within its legal authority — and in full compliance with all applicable laws — to ensure that Medicaid benefits are reserved for individuals lawfully entitled to receive them,” Nixon said in a statement.
He added that HHS is “aggressively cracking down on states that may be misusing federal Medicaid funds,” though the agency has not provided specifics about DHS’s role or plans for the data.
Broader Pattern of Data Sharing
The controversy follows other Trump administration efforts to share federal data with immigration enforcement. Earlier this year, a federal judge declined to block the IRS from providing immigrant tax records to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Democratic lawmakers in Congress have demanded that DHS stop using health data for immigration enforcement and destroy any records already obtained.
“We will not allow people’s private health information to be turned into a weapon for deportation,” Bonta said.
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