Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr’s advisors ordered the release of a dataset including private health info of people in California, Illinois, Washington.
California, Washington, and 20 other states have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing it of violating federal privacy laws by handing over sensitive Medicaid data on millions of enrollees to immigration authorities.
According to the Associated Press, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s advisors authorized the release of the data last month, providing the Department of Homeland Security with personal health information from Medicaid recipients in states like California, Illinois, and Washington. These states allow noncitizens to access state-funded Medicaid programs.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta condemned the move, saying, “The Trump Administration has upended longstanding privacy protections with its decision to illegally share sensitive, personal health data with ICE.” Bonta warned the action could have a chilling effect, discouraging people from seeking emergency medical care due to fear of deportation, NPR reported.
The information allegedly turned over included names, addresses, Social Security numbers, immigration status, and medical claims—a highly unusual transfer that came as the administration ramped up immigration enforcement.
In response, Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon defended the data release, saying, “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.”
This lawsuit adds to a growing list of legal challenges California has filed against the Trump administration. On June 12, the state sued over the administration’s rollback of tailpipe emissions standards and efforts to halt the transition to electric vehicles. Days earlier, California filed suit to defend a state law allowing transgender students to compete in girls’ sports, following threats from the federal government to withhold funding. Around the same time, the state also challenged the deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles during protests over immigration enforcement.
These legal battles underscore escalating tensions between California and the Trump administration over immigration, environmental regulations, and civil rights.Tools
