NEW TELEGRAPH
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to access the personal data of 79 million Medicaid enrollees—including home addresses, ethnicities, and Social Security numbers—as part of a sweeping effort to locate and deport undocumented immigrants, according to an agreement obtained by The Associated Press.
The data-sharing arrangement, signed between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), grants ICE officials the ability to track “the location of aliens” nationwide. The agreement, not publicly announced, marks a significant escalation in the administration’s immigration enforcement efforts, which have targeted 3,000 arrests per day.
Targeting Nigerian Doctors, Green Lottery Winners
The Saturday Telegraph reports that Nigerian doctors who entered the U.S. through programs like USAID-sponsored medical work—as well as winners of the U.S. Green Card Lottery—are among those at risk. Many enrolled in Medicaid while working in the healthcare sector, making them vulnerable under the new policy.
The move has sown fear in immigrant communities, with reports of individuals avoiding public spaces amid heightened ICE activity.
Legal and Ethical Backlash
Lawmakers and CMS officials have questioned the legality of the data-sharing agreement. A CMS official, speaking anonymously, said, “They are trying to turn us into immigration agents.”
Health and Human Services officials defend the measure as necessary to prevent improper Medicaid enrollment. “We are exploring an initiative to ensure that illegal aliens are not receiving Medicaid benefits meant for law-abiding Americans,” said Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary.
However, critics warn the policy could deter immigrants—including those legally eligible for emergency Medicaid—from seeking critical medical care. Twenty states have sued to block the move, arguing it violates federal health privacy laws.
Limited Access, Broad Implications
Under the agreement, ICE may access the data only on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until September 9. Yet privacy advocates say even temporary access risks chilling effects on vulnerable populations.
The policy follows a Trump administration demand last month for Medicaid data from seven Democratic-led states—California, New York, Washington, Oregon, Illinois, Minnesota, and Colorado—that expanded coverage to non-citizens. Those states have resisted, calling the move an overreach.
As legal battles unfold, immigrant communities brace for potential raids, with many uncertain whether seeking medical help could now lead to deportation.
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