By Sharon Bernstein, The Sacramento Bee
California on Tuesday led a coalition of states in filing a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration over its alleged sharing of Medicaid recipients’ health data with immigration enforcement agencies, Attorney General Rob Bonta said.
Bonta cited news reports that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services granted what it described as “unfettered access” to individuals’ health records. He said the action violated privacy laws and long-standing practices separating Medicaid information from law enforcement.
“I’m sickened by this latest salvo in the President’s anti-immigrant campaign,” Bonta said in a statement. “We’re headed to court to prevent any further sharing of Medicaid data — and to ensure any of the data that’s already been shared is not used for immigration enforcement purposes.”
The lawsuit, which names Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and their respective departments, was filed in federal court in San Francisco on behalf of California and 19 other states. It alleges that the administration changed its privacy policies without going through the process of holding hearings or announcing changes in its regulations.
“In June, 2025, the federal government’s policy of keeping State Medicaid agencies’ healthcare records confidential abruptly changed, without notice, opportunity for public input, or reasoned decision-making,” the complaint filed by the 20 states says.
In California, Medi-Cal — the state’s version of Medicaid — provides coverage for one in three residents. About 2 million members are not U.S. citizens, Bonta said, but federal funds are not used to cover individuals ineligible under federal law.
He said federal health officials had previously avoided allowing Medicaid recipients’ personal data to be used for immigration enforcement.
“Yet now, the federal government appears to have — without formal acknowledgment — adopted a new policy that allows for the wholesale disclosure and use of state residents’ personal Medicaid data for purposes unrelated to Medicaid program administration,” he said.
Bonta said the move has instilled fear and confusion among immigrant communities already affected by deportation efforts.
Worried their information could be used against them, some patients “may not get the emergency health services they need and will suffer negative health consequences — and even death — as a result,” the news release said.
The lawsuit seeks to bar the Department of Health and Human Services from sharing personal data with immigration authorities and to prohibit its use in enforcement actions.
Joining California in the lawsuit were the states of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
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