Maryland AG condemns Trump administration for giving ICE access to Medicaid data

Maryland’s attorney general is condemning the Trump administration’s decision to share the personal information of 79 million Medicaid enrollees with immigration authorities.

“This agreement is a grave breach of the public’s trust and a direct threat to the privacy and safety of families across our state. It undermines the core purpose of our healthcare system by turning it into a tool of surveillance rather than a source of care,” Attorney General Anthony Brown said in a statement Friday.

In a statement to NBC News, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin described the latest data-sharing agreement between her agency and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as “an initiative” to ensure undocumented immigrants don’t access Medicaid benefits. The Associated Press first reported the new agreement, which hasn’t been made public yet.

Immigrants who are in the country illegally, and some lawfully present immigrants, are already barred from enrolling in Medicaid.

Under the agreement, officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement will use Medicaid data to get identity and location information of people ICE believes are in the country unlawfully.

Brown’s office said news of the data sharing agreement “alarmingly” comes after Maryland joined a multi-state lawsuit challening the Department of Health and Human Services’ decision to give ICE broad access to individual personal health data. A hearing on the states’ motion for a preliminary injunction is scheduled for Aug. 7.

“This reckless policy will deter people from seeking routine and urgent care, leading to worse health outcomes and placing an unsustainable burden on our hospitals and clinics when preventable conditions become emergencies,” Brown said in his statement. “We will use every legal tool available to safeguard the personal medical information of our residents and uphold the integrity of our healthcare system. This is not only unlawful—it is a deeply harmful act that will separate families, sow fear in our communities, and put lives at risk.”