Trump Administration Shares Medicaid Data With Homeland Security

The Trump administration transferred the personal data of millions of Medicaid enrollees from California, Illinois, Washington state, and Washington, D.C., to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The data, which includes names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and claims data, was handed over on June 10, 2025, following a February executive order titled "Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders."

Top advisers to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered the transfer, giving the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) only 54 minutes to comply. Internal CMS officials, including Deputy Director Sara Vitolo, attempted to block the move, arguing it violated the Social Security Act and the Privacy Act of 1974. These objections were overruled by HHS officials, who asserted the action was legal and necessary to ensure benefits are reserved for those lawfully entitled to them.

CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz defended the transfer, stating that Medicaid cannot be a "backdoor pathway to subsidize open borders." The data disclosure coincides with ramped-up Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in cities like Los Angeles, where National Guard troops and Marines have been deployed.

State officials have condemned the move. The Washington Health Care Authority expressed deep concern over the potential misuse of personal health information, while California State Senator Jesse Arreguín began pushing legislation to bar immigration enforcement from non-public areas of health facilities without a warrant.