This article was first published in Truthout on July 17, 2025. It is shared here with permission.
Reports indicate that the Trump administration is providing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with personal information of all 79 million Medicaid enrollees, significantly empowering the agency as it impacts communities nationwide.
The shared data includes names, addresses, ethnicity, race, birth dates, and Social Security numbers of Medicaid enrollees, as per an agreement between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Homeland Security. This agreement was highlighted by the Associated Press.
The agreement specifies that ICE cannot download the data and can only access it from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday, until September 9. However, the Trump administration has faced lawsuits from states over sharing Medicaid data with ICE, arguing that laws protecting such data are clear.
The agreement aims to assist ICE in locating “aliens” in the U.S. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, stated the agreement is to ensure that illegal aliens do not receive Medicaid benefits intended for law-abiding Americans.
Undocumented immigrants cannot enroll in Medicaid, and other immigrants must meet specific criteria to qualify. Conservatives have long claimed widespread fraud in Medicaid and welfare programs, but evidence is lacking.
Moreover, there is no need for ICE to access data to investigate fraud, as Medicaid fraud investigators already exist in every state and territory.
Using fraud and unauthorized immigration as reasons, Trump administration officials have worked to expand the police state, replacing public services meant to assist working Americans with law enforcement officers who enjoy anonymity and impunity.
Republicans have used false claims about fraud and immigration to advance their budget bill, which will result in millions losing Medicaid coverage when the cuts are implemented in 2027. Consequently, some Medicaid recipients might be affected by the data-sharing agreement and later lose their benefits.
Additionally, fears of racial profiling or surveillance due to the data-sharing agreement might deter individuals from enrolling in Medicaid.
By targeting Medicaid, the Trump administration is affecting some of the poorest Americans. Medicaid provides healthcare coverage for those at or below the poverty line, as well as individuals unable to work due to disabilities.
“It’s unimaginable that CMS would betray the trust of Medicaid enrollees in this manner,” stated Hannah Katch, a former CMS adviser, to the Associated Press.