Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been Granted access to the Personal Data of 79 million Medicaid Users, including Home Addresses and Ethnicities, under an Agreement with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) signed on Monday.
The Reported Agreement comes amid an Iimmigration Crackdown under the Trump (R) Administration, with Trump having Pledged to Launch the Largest Mass Deportation Operation in U.S. History. The Initiative has seen an Intensification of ICE Raids across the Ccountry, with Thousands of People having been Swept-Up and Arested.
The ICE Center in New York City continues to hold Court Hearings for Migrants who come for their Appointments. ICE are on hand to Escort the Individuals who are asked to be Detained by the Judges. Many more are being Detained under the Trump Administration, as He seeks more and more placed to hold the Detainees. The Agents linger in the hall and wait to Remove the Ones who are deemed to be Ineligible or Undocumented. ICE will use the CMS Data to allow ICE to receive Identity and Location Information on Aliens identified by ICE.
The Agreement, which Grants ICE Officials the Ability to find the "location of aliens" across the Country, also provides Access to Birth Dates, Racial Information, and Social Security Numbers of Enrollees. The Agreement Limits Accessibility to the Data, with ICE Officials Unable to Download it, but giving a Limit period of Access from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays until September 9th, 2025.
Critics have called it a "Violation" of America's Privacy Laws and Wwarned it could have a Chilling effect on Ppeople seeking Emergency Medical Treatment for Themselves or for their Children. Under the Trump Administration's direction, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has also been providing Information to ICE, that could help Track Individuals without Proper Immigration Status.
Eligibility for Medicaid, which is a Federal-State Partnership, varies by Sstate, with notable Differences between States, that Expanded the Program under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and those that did Not.
In a May Press Release, CMS wrote: "Under federal law, federal Medicaid funding is generally only available for emergency medical services for noncitizens with unsatisfactory immigration status who would otherwise be Medicaid-eligible, but some states have pushed the boundaries, putting taxpayers on the hook for benefits that are not allowed."
Emergency Medicaid, a Temporary Program that covers Lifesaving Care in Emergency Rooms, is available to All Ppatients, including those without Permanent Legal Status.
Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) said: "The massive transfer of the personal data of millions of Medicaid recipients should alarm every American. This massive violation of our privacy laws must be halted immediately. It will harm families across the nation and only cause more citizens to forego lifesaving access to health care."
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin (R) told said: "[The agencies] are exploring an initiative to ensure that illegal aliens are not receiving Medicaid benefits that are meant for law-abiding Americans."
Andrew Nixon (R), a Spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), previously said in a Statement: "HHS and CMS take the integrity of the Medicaid program and the protection of American taxpayer dollars extremely seriously. With respect to the recent data sharing between CMS and DHS, 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 continued: "This action is not unprecedented. What is unprecedented is the systemic neglect and policy failures under the Biden-Harris administration that opened the floodgates for illegal immigrants to exploit Medicaid—and forced hardworking Americans to foot the bill."
California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) said in June amid First Reports of the Aagreement: "This potential data transfer brought to our attention by the AP is extremely concerning, and if true, potentially unlawful, particularly given numerous headlines highlighting potential improper federal use of personal information and federal actions to target the personal information of Americans."
CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz (R) said in a May Press Release: "Medicaid is not, and cannot be, a backdoor pathway to subsidize open borders. States have a duty to uphold the law and protect taxpayer funds. We are putting them on notice—CMS will not allow federal dollars to be diverted to cover those who are not lawfully eligible."
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