Trump Administration Shares Medicaid Data with ICE, Sparking Outrage and Fears of Surveillance
his story originally appeared in Truthout on July 17, 2025. It is shared here with permission.
In a move drawing sharp criticism from advocates and former officials, the Trump administration is reportedly providing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with access to the personal information of all 79 million Medicaid enrollees in the United States.
According to the Associated Press, the data-sharing agreement between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Homeland Security grants ICE access to names, addresses, birth dates, ethnicity and race, and Social Security numbers of Medicaid recipients. The agreement allows ICE to view — but not download — this sensitive information during business hours, Monday through Friday, through September 9.
Officials say the goal is to help ICE locate undocumented immigrants, with DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin stating the initiative is meant to ensure “illegal aliens are not receiving Medicaid benefits that are meant for law-abiding Americans.”
However, by law, undocumented immigrants are already ineligible for Medicaid. Other immigrant groups must meet strict eligibility requirements. Despite longstanding conservative claims of widespread Medicaid fraud by undocumented people, no credible evidence supports such accusations. Additionally, every U.S. state and territory already employs Medicaid fraud investigators, making ICE’s involvement unnecessary for that purpose.
Critics say the data-sharing move is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to weaponize government agencies against vulnerable communities under the guise of law enforcement. “It’s unthinkable that CMS would violate the trust of Medicaid enrollees in this way,” said Hannah Katch, a former CMS adviser, speaking to the Associated Press.
Civil rights advocates warn that the program could sow fear among low-income individuals and families, discouraging eligible people — especially immigrants — from seeking vital health care services. The development comes as Republicans push a budget bill that will strip millions of Americans from Medicaid coverage by 2027. Some of those targeted by the data-sharing agreement may ultimately lose their benefits under that legislation.
At its core, critics argue, this policy doesn’t fight fraud — it punishes poverty.