ICE Collected Medicaid and Tax Data in Immigration Crackdown

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has intensified its enforcement efforts against undocumented immigrants by collecting sensitive personal data, including Medicaid enrollment, tax filings, and law enforcement license plate records. Civil rights organizations have raised legal and constitutional concerns over the scope of this data use.

According to documents obtained by AP, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its subagency ICE have requested access to personal data from multiple agencies in 2025, including the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). These agencies reportedly complied, exposing the private information of Medicaid recipients, including undocumented individuals.

AP reported that two aides to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. instructed staff at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide subscriber data to DHS. While some CMS employees tried to block the transfer, DHS still obtained Medi-Cal (California’s Medicaid program) data.

California began offering Medi-Cal coverage to low-income residents regardless of immigration status on January 1, 2023. AP noted that the timing of ICE’s enforcement actions in Southern California coincided with the CMS data transfer.

In April 2025, ICE signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the IRS to access tax data on non-citizens, including undocumented immigrants. The agreement allows ICE to obtain names, addresses, and Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs)—nine-digit codes assigned to individuals who do not have Social Security numbers, often used by undocumented immigrants.

By accessing these records, ICE gained sensitive personal data from individuals who voluntarily filed taxes, prompting privacy concerns among immigrant advocacy groups.

ICE has also reportedly obtained automated license plate reader (ALPR) data from local law enforcement agencies, despite California Senate Bill 34 (SB 34), which prohibits state and local entities from sharing such data with federal immigration authorities.

Online news outlet LAist reported that in May 2025 alone, more than 100 data transfers occurred between ICE and law enforcement agencies, including the LAPD and sheriff’s departments in San Diego, Orange, and Riverside counties. In total, 11 agencies in Southern California shared ALPR data with both ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Kani Roh, communications lead at the Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL), stated, “This is the first time CMS has shared Medi-Cal subscriber data with an outside agency. Governor Gavin Newsom has expressed concern and called for greater transparency. We are closely monitoring this situation to protect immigrant rights.”

Jung-Ho Kim, co-executive director of the Korean American Community Advocacy Service and Education Council (KAKASEC), added, “ICE’s collection of personal data without lawful procedures violates constitutional privacy protections. Allowing such actions would set a dangerous precedent that could affect undocumented immigrants, legal residents, and even U.S. citizens.”

BY HYOUNGJAE KIM [kim.ian@koreadaily.com]