The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown is set to intensify as a federal court has allowed ICE to obtain basic information on Medicaid enrollees from the Department of Health and Human Services.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is now obligated to share details like phone number, address, date of birth, Medicaid ID, and citizenship and immigration status of people suspected of living in the country illegally.
The two agencies operated independently for years, with ICE not using Medicaid data for immigration enforcement. However, that changed in June 2025, when the CMS began sharing personal information, including individuals’ health records, with ICE.
🚨 BREAKING — JUDGE SIDES WITH TRUMP: The Trump admin can share with ICE MEDICAID data for illegal aliens receiving taxpayer benefits
I was told ZERO illegals get welfare.
I guess that was also a lie.
TURN IT ALL OVER and DEPORT THEM ALL. Zero Medicaid for illegals. pic.twitter.com/58jT5Xs8Ic
— Clint Eastwood (@_Mr_clint_) December 30, 2025
More than 20 Democrat-majority states, represented by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, then filed a preliminary injunction to stop the move.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria gave some respite to the states by ruling that sensitive information like health records can not be exchanged between CMS and ICE. However, the judge allowed the sharing of basic information that is deemed necessary for immigration regulation.
The judge said, “Congress could not have made a clearer statement about DHS’s entitlement to certain data from other agencies, and that entitlement would be meaningless if it did not also obligate agencies to comply with DHS’s legitimate data requests.”
Chhabria also highlighted the arbitrary nature of the current government’s policies and wrote in his order, “Beyond the basic information discussed above, the policies are totally unclear and do not appear to be the product of a coherent decision-making process.”
The CMS can now initiate information sharing as early as January 6, 2026. The Department of Homeland Security has welcomed the ruling, with spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin calling it ‘a victory’ for American taxpayers.
She stated, “President Trump consistently promised to protect Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. To keep that promise after Joe Biden flooded our country with tens of millions of illegal aliens, CMS and DHS will ensure that illegal aliens do not receive Medicaid benefits that are meant for law-abiding Americans.”
🚨HUGE WIN FOR AMERICA!
Awake Illinois is fired up over Judge Vince Chhabria’s federal court ruling allowing basic Medicaid data sharing with ICE.
No more hiding behind sanctuary shields. It is time to enforce the law and protect taxpayers!
🧵 pic.twitter.com/P4XR0L0aSV
— Awake Illinois (@Awake_IL) December 30, 2025
On the other hand, the California Department of Justice has expressed disappointment over the ruling, stating that people expected privacy when they enrolled for Medicaid.
A spokesperson for the department said in an interview with Politico, “The Trump Administration’s effort to use Medicaid data for immigration enforcement is a violation of their trust and will lead to fewer people seeking vital healthcare.”
Medicaid is a health insurance program that provides free and low-cost medical services to individuals with low income. The program is administered through a federal-state partnership and currently provides benefits to more than 77 million people.
According to the policy, all individuals in the U.S. are entitled to emergency medical services regardless of immigration status. However, the full benefits of the program are available only to citizens and legal residents.
