From The Hill: A federal judge in California ruled Monday that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) can share Medicaid data with immigration enforcement authorities, but he kept in place limits on what data the agencies can share and what can be used.
A group of 20 Democratic attorneys general sued the Trump administration in July, seeking to block it from sharing Medicaid data with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), arguing it violated privacy protections.
U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria, appointed by former President Obama, ruled that in light of the “abrupt departure from their past policies of not sharing or using Medicaid data for immigration enforcement purposes,” both HHS and the Department of Homeland Security have “adequately explained their decisions.”
“The motion is denied as to the data that is the primary focus of the new policies—basic biographical, location, and contact information—because the sharing of such information is clearly authorized by law and the agencies have adequately explained their decisions,” Chhabria wrote.
The Hill also noted that Chhabria’s ruling stipulates “that HHS and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services cannot share data from the plaintiff states unless it is data from a Medicaid program; pertains only to immigrants residing in the U.S. unlawfully; and the data only divulges the immigrant’s citizenship and immigration status, address, phone number, date of birth, and Medicaid ID.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D), had spearheaded the lawsuit by 20 Democrat-led states against the Trump administration for sharing Medicaid data with immigration officials, claiming it violates privacy protections.
Bonta claimed the practice “created a culture of fear that will lead to fewer people seeking vital emergency medical care.”
Judge Chhabria had first ruled against the Trump administration in August, granting a preliminary injunction to stop Medicaid from sharing data with ICE. Now, the judge has reversed course, in favor of the Trump administration.
🚨 BREAKING — JUDGE SIDES WITH TRUMP: The Trump admin can share with ICE MEDICAID data for illegal aliens receiving taxpayer benefits
I was told ZERO illegals get welfare.
I guess that was also a lie.
TURN IT ALL OVER and DEPORT THEM ALL. Zero Medicaid for illegals. pic.twitter.com/Phq5WPJcvu
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 30, 2025
On August 12, 2025, San Francisco Obama Judge Vince Chhabria ruled that, despite clear statutory authority to the contrary, the Trump administration couldn’t share Medicaid information with ICE:https://t.co/DQzW2xYvdh
On December 26, 2025, independent journalist Nick Shirley… pic.twitter.com/86QssVuwmJ
— 🇺🇸 Mike Davis 🇺🇸 (@mrddmia) December 30, 2025
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