WA AG’s Office: Judge blocks use of Medicaid data for immigration enforcement

A federal judge blocked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from using Medicaid data in 19 states, including Washington, for immigration enforcement, the Washington Office of the Attorney General (AG) announced Wednesday via a news release.

The judge also barred the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from sharing that data with DHS, noting the coalition will most likely be successful in its claim that the action violated the Administrative Procedure Act.

The injunction will be in place until the HHS and DHS create a process that aligns with the Administrative Procedure Act, or litigation ends.

“Protecting people’s private health information is vitally important,” Washington AG Nick Brown stated in the release. “And everyone should be able to seek medical care without fear of what the federal government may do with that information.”

Immigrant Medicaid data leaked

As part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, officials were given personal data on millions of Medicaid enrollees, including their immigration status.

An internal memo and emails obtained by The Associated Press (AP) detailed that Medicaid officials unsuccessfully attempted to block the transfer of data, citing legal and ethical concerns.

Two top advisors to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered the data be handed over to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Officials were given a 54-minute window to comply, The AP stated.

Included in the dataset was personal information of residents from California, Illinois, Washington state, and Washington, D.C., all of which allow non-U.S. citizens to enroll in Medicaid, which is funded solely by state taxpayer dollars, according to the media outlet.

Experts said the dataset can assist in locating migrants, and additionally can prevent migrants’ ability to receive green cards, permanent residency, or citizenship, if any Medicaid benefits had previously been obtained, The AP stated.

Medicaid dataset aids immigrant arrests

A statement from Gavin Newsom’s office noted the concerns with the data release aiding federal authorities in immigration raids.

“This potential data transfer brought to our attention by the AP is extremely concerning, and if true, potentially unlawful, particularly given numerous headlines highlighting potential improper federal use of personal information and federal actions to target the personal information of Americans,” the statement said.

U.S. Democrat Representative Laura Friedman also wrote in a post on X that the use of this data should not aid arrests.

Donald Trump just gave deportation agents access to Medicaid data — even after Medicaid officials warned it was legally and ethically wrong. This is the personal health info of people in California.

We should never use a person’s need to go to the doctor against them. This will… https://t.co/FhTKDSLqQu

— Rep. Laura Friedman (@RepFriedmanCA) June 13, 2025

Andrew Nixon, HHS spokesman, claimed that sharing the data was legal.

“With respect to the recent data sharing between CMS and DHS, HHS acted entirely within its legal authority–and in full compliance with all applicable laws–to ensure that Medicaid benefits are reserved for individuals who are lawfully entitled to receive them,” Nixon said, according to The AP.

The dataset includes personal addresses, names, and social security numbers, the media outlet stated.

This story was originally published on June 13, 2025. It has been updated and republished since then.

Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest

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