Groups Sue Trump Admin for Records on Medicaid Data Sharing with Immigration Enforcement

Thursday, the National Health Law Program (NHeLP) and American Oversight filed suit against the Trump administration for failing to release records related to a sweeping federal policy enabling the sharing of Medicaid enrollee data with immigration enforcement agencies.

The lawsuit comes amid a broader pattern of reported data sharing and use across the administration for immigration enforcement, including Medicaid data from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), taxpayer data from the Internal Revenue Service, and traveler data from the Transportation Security Administration. This pattern has also raised serious concerns about how the administration is handling sensitive personal information, including reported instances in which federal officials improperly disclosed confidential taxpayer data.

The lawsuit seeks to compel HHS and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to produce records that could shed light on how sensitive data is being shared with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The lawsuit centers on a series of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests seeking information about the administration’s policies and practices governing the sharing of Medicaid data — including personal and demographic information — to immigration authorities. These requests follow public reporting revealing that federal officials have authorized new data-sharing arrangements that disrupt longstanding expectations that Medicaid information would remain confidential and not be used for immigration enforcement, raising serious legal and ethical concerns. While a number of states have challenged the data sharing in court, that litigation has not revealed the details of what the agencies are doing in the plaintiff states or elsewhere.

“Reports that CMS began sharing Medicaid data with ICE emerged last summer. Yet HHS and CMS have consistently refused to provide clarity about what data they are — and importantly — are not sharing,” said Sarah Grusin, Senior Attorney at the National Health Law Program. “The lack of transparency adds to the fear and confusion faced by immigrant families across the country who are left grappling with heartbreaking choices like skipping prenatal visits and keeping children off Medicaid in an effort to keep their families safe. These families deserve to know how their health care data is being used and our FOIA requests are aimed at bringing that clarity into the open.”

“The Trump administration is making deeply consequential decisions about the use of Americans’ sensitive personal information while refusing to explain how those decisions are made, what steps are being taken to protect this information, or what limits exist on that power,” said Chioma Chukwu, executive director of American Oversight. “When the government begins using health data for immigration enforcement, it not only raises privacy concerns but risks deterring people from seeking essential medical care, forcing families to weigh whether getting care could put themselves or their loved ones at risk. That is not just a policy failure, it is a threat to public health, with real consequences for patients who may delay or forgo medical attention they need to stay healthy and safe. These policies should alarm anyone whose data is managed by CMS.The American people deserve answers about what data is being shared, who is affected, and how this administration is abusing its authority behind closed doors.”

NHeLP submitted multiple FOIA requests in 2025 and 2026 seeking records related to these data-sharing policies, including internal communications among senior officials, agreements between agencies, and requests from DHS and ICE for Medicaid enrollee data, as well as memoranda of understanding and communications regarding the permissibility of sharing such data under federal privacy laws. The requests also seek documents outlining how federal officials determine which individuals’ data may be shared, what categories of information are included, and how many individuals’ data have already been shared.

Despite granting expedited processing and fee waivers, the agencies have failed to produce the requested records or provide final determinations within the timeframe required by law, forcing NHeLP to file suit. The requested records could reveal the scope of data being shared, how federal agencies are interpreting their legal authority, and how these policies are affecting access to health care — particularly for immigrant families and mixed-status households.