A federal judge in California ruled Monday that the U.S. government may share limited, basic information about Medicaid participants with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as part of a broader federal initiative aimed at identifying individuals believed to be in the country illegally.
The data-sharing plan, supported by the federal government, had previously been blocked by a preliminary injunction affecting 20 states that filed the lawsuit, including California. Those states argued that sharing Medicaid information with immigration authorities could undermine privacy protections and discourage eligible individuals from seeking medical care.
U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria partially denied the states’ request for a preliminary injunction, determining that the disclosure of basic biographical, location, and contact information is permissible under federal law. However, he granted the injunction with respect to any additional or more sensitive data, significantly narrowing the scope of information that may be shared.
In his ruling, Chhabria referenced a notice from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which stated that the agency would limit disclosures to the “minimum necessary information,” including citizenship or immigration status, geographic location, and telephone numbers. The judge also noted that the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, has historically held the authority to request such basic information.
