• Trump administration gives deportation officials access to personal Medicaid data.
• California, Illinois, Washington state, and D.C. affected by data transfer.
• State officials raise legal and ethical concerns regarding the move.
• Experts warn this could endanger undocumented immigrants seeking benefits.
• Governor Newsom calls the transfer "extremely concerning" and potentially unlawful.

This week, the Trump administration provided deportation officials with personal data, including immigration status, of millions of Medicaid enrollees, sparking legal and ethical concerns within the government. Internal emails obtained by the Associated Press show officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) expressed objections to this data transfer, highlighting potential violations of federal laws like the Social Security Act and the Privacy Act of 1974. Despite these concerns, two senior advisers to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. mandated the information be shared with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), giving CMS just 54 minutes to comply, according to HuffPost, India Times, and The Hill.

The dataset includes critical personal information—names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and immigration status—of Medicaid enrollees from states like California, Illinois, Washington state, and Washington, D.C., all of which allow non-U.S. citizens to receive Medicaid benefits funded through state taxes. The data sharing coincides with increased immigration enforcement efforts in Southern California, raising alarms among experts who warn that this information could be used to locate undocumented immigrants and potentially block their applications for green cards or permanent residency if they have received Medicaid benefits funded by the federal government, reports HuffPost and India Times.

California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the data transfer as "extremely concerning," raising questions about its legality amid extensive federal surveillance and enforcement actions. Newsom’s office stressed the potential risks this transfer poses to vulnerable communities, echoing sentiments expressed by healthcare advocates who fear that such data sharing could chill immigrant participation in necessary healthcare services. “This potential data transfer... is potentially unlawful, particularly given numerous headlines highlighting improper federal use of personal information in targeting Americans,” Newsom's office stated, according to India Times and The Hill.

The CMS had previously announced its intention to conduct a targeted review of Medicaid enrollees to verify appropriate use of federal funds, responding to Trump’s executive order regarding immigration. In an accompanying memo, CMS Deputy Director Sara Vitolo highlighted that such data sharing could violate longstanding legal standards, thus igniting further debate about the balance of power between state and federal agencies under the current administration's immigration policies. The underlying tensions were evident as Democratic governors voiced their objections during recent congressional hearings, as reported by HuffPost, India Times, and The Hill.