20 states sue Trump govt for sharing Medicaid data with deportation agents

Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr's team ordered the release of private health data from California, Illinois, and Washington to the Department of Homeland Security last month

California Attorney General Rob Bonta alleged on Tuesday that the Trump administration violated federal privacy laws when it turned over Medicaid data on millions of enrollees to deportation officials last month, saying he and 19 other states' attorneys general have sued over the move.

Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr's advisors ordered the release of a dataset including the private health information of people in California, Illinois, Washington, and Washington to the Department of Homeland Security last month, AP reported.

Those jurisdictions let noncitizens enrol in Medicaid programmes that pay for their expenses using only state taxpayer dollars.

The unusual sharing of private health information, including addresses, names, social security numbers, immigration status and claims data, came as deportation officials accelerated enforcement efforts.

Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon has defended the release.

HHS acted entirely within its legal authority -- and in full compliance with all applicable laws -- to ensure that Medicaid benefits are reserved for individuals who are lawfully entitled to receive them, he said in a statement.