Attorneys general from Oregon, Washington, and 13 other Democratic-led states are suing the Trump administration over the sharing of Medicaid patient data with immigration enforcement agencies. The lawsuit, led by California AG Rob Bonta, challenges the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Homeland Security for allegedly violating federal privacy laws.
According to the complaint, the data was transferred to ICE to build a mass deportation database. Plaintiffs argue this breaches federal confidentiality protections in place since Medicaid’s founding.
The lawsuit names HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem as defendants. States are demanding a court order to halt any further data sharing and to block ICE from using already obtained files.
Oregon’s AG Dan Rayfield warned the practice could scare immigrant families away from seeking healthcare. Washington AG Nick Brown added: “Their data should not be used so ICE can deport undocumented immigrants because they had to go to the doctor.”
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