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Federal Judge Greenlights Limited Medicaid Data Sharing with ICE for Immigration Enforcement
A federal judge in California has issued a ruling this week that will allow the Trump administration to share specific Medicaid participant information, including addresses and phone numbers, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This move is intended to aid ICE in its efforts to identify, arrest, and deport immigrants suspected of residing in the U.S. without legal status.
The decision represents a partial legal victory for the Trump administration as it pursues what has been described as an unprecedented deportation operation. U.S.
District Court Judge Vince Chhabria, in an order issued Monday, authorized the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, to access biographical, contact, and location details from the Medicaid program for immigration enforcement purposes. This data may include individuals’ immigration status, address, phone number, and date of birth.
Judge Chhabria stated in his order, “Congress could not have made a clearer statement about DHS’s entitlement to certain data from other agencies, and that entitlement would be meaningless if it did not also obligate agencies to comply with DHS’s legitimate data requests.”
However, the judge stipulated that ICE’s data requests must be strictly limited to individuals residing in the U.S. unlawfully. He specifically blocked the agency from accessing a broader range of Medicaid information, including sensitive medical records and data pertaining to American citizens and lawful permanent residents.
While immigrants without legal status are generally ineligible for Medicaid and most federal benefits, states are mandated to provide emergency care to all individuals, regardless of their immigration status. Additionally, some Democratic-led states extend certain health benefits to immigrants who lack legal status.
A coalition of approximately 20 Democratic-led states, led by California, had challenged the Trump administration’s information-sharing initiative, expressing concerns that it would deter immigrants from seeking essential medical care.
Conversely, the Trump administration has asserted that this policy will enhance the enforcement of federal immigration law. Tricia McLaughlin, a DHS spokeswoman, told CBS News that the ruling signifies a “victory for the rule of law and American taxpayers.”
McLaughlin further commented, “President Trump consistently promised to protect Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. To keep that promise after Joe Biden flooded our country with tens of millions of illegal aliens, CMS and DHS will ensure that illegal aliens do not receive Medicaid benefits that are meant for law-abiding Americans.”
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a subagency of the Department of Health and Human Services, is responsible for administering the Medicaid program in collaboration with individual states.
Under Judge Chhabria’s order, CMS is authorized to begin sharing the specified basic biographical, contact, and location information with ICE starting on January 5.