Trump Administration Shares Medicaid Immigrant Data Across Multiple States

The Trump administration has ordered the transfer of personal data, including immigration status, of millions of Medicaid enrollees from states such as California, Illinois, Oregon, Washington, and Washington, D.C., to the Department of Homeland Security as part of a broader immigration crackdown. This move, directed by advisors to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has overridden objections from Medicaid officials citing legal and ethical concerns, and has sparked significant controversy and protests, particularly in California and Oregon. States allowing undocumented immigrants to access Medicaid using state funds are especially affected, raising fears that the data could be used to facilitate deportations and complicate immigrants' pathways to citizenship. California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the data sharing as a "legally dubious" abuse that threatens the privacy and safety of immigrants and undermines trust in public health programs. The administration defends the legality of the transfer but has not clarified how the information will be used, while states like Oregon continue to evaluate compliance with federal requests. This policy reversal marks a significant shift from longstanding protections against sharing Medicaid enrollment information with immigration enforcement agencies.