The Trump administration shared personal data from Medicaid recipients—including immigration status—with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to aid immigration enforcement efforts, according to a new investigation. The disclosed information included names, addresses, contact details, and immigration status, sparking growing legal and ethical concerns.
On June 13, the Associated Press (AP) reported that the administration transferred data on millions of Medicaid users to DHS to help identify and deport undocumented immigrants. The report was based on internal memos and emails obtained by AP.
Two aides to Robert Kennedy Jr., then Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), directed staff at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to share subscriber data with DHS. Although some CMS staff attempted to block the transfer, citing legal and ethical risks, they ultimately failed.
DHS reportedly accessed CMS data for 54 minutes, obtaining subscriber records that included detailed personal and legal status information.
The disclosed data involved Medicaid recipients in California, Illinois, Washington, and Washington, D.C. Among them, California and Washington, D.C. provide Medicaid coverage to undocumented immigrants.
As a result, concerns have mounted in California that undocumented residents enrolled in Medi-Cal—the state’s Medicaid program—could face targeted enforcement. Since January 1, 2023, California has offered Medi-Cal benefits to low-income residents regardless of immigration status.
The AP also noted that the timing of the data transfer coincided with DHS operations targeting undocumented immigrants in Southern California.
In response, the office of California Governor Gavin Newsom called on DHS to disclose how it used the CMS data during the Southern California operation. “The personal information of California residents is paramount,” said the governor’s office in a statement. “If DHS misused CMS subscriber data, there will be legal consequences.”
BY HYOUNGJAE KIM [kim.ian@koreadaily.com]
