Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on Mar. 27 to enforce a preliminary injunction that blocks the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from sharing Medicaid recipient data with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The issue is significant because it concerns the privacy rights of millions of lawful residents who rely on Medicaid for essential health care coverage, as well as potential impacts on immigrant communities’ willingness to seek medical assistance.
According to Campbell, recent communications between a coalition of attorneys general and HHS revealed that HHS had shared “a large and complex data set” related to Medicaid recipients with ICE, despite a court order stating that much of this information—including that belonging to citizens and lawful permanent residents—should not be disclosed. The coalition has requested the court not only enforce its original order but also require federal officials to explain what specific data was shared and how it is being used by ICE.
“Even though the court made clear that the Trump Administration cannot disclose lawful residents’ private health data to ICE, the federal government appears to have recklessly ignored key parts of this directive,” said AG Campbell. “We’re going back into court to hold this Administration accountable for its cruel and unlawful actions that target immigrant communities and harm our residents.”
Medicaid, established in 1965, provides health insurance for lower-income individuals including children, pregnant women, people with disabilities, and seniors. As reported in January 2025, there were 78.4 million enrollees in Medicaid or CHIP nationwide. States are responsible for administering their own plans within federal guidelines.
Campbell previously joined a multistate lawsuit filed on July 1, 2025 against the Trump Administration over HHS’s transfer of Medicaid data to ICE—a move they argue is illegal under current law—and sought an injunction preventing such transfers from being used for immigration enforcement purposes. The lawsuit contends these actions have led some noncitizens or their family members to avoid enrolling in emergency Medicaid out of fear or confusion.
In addition to Massachusetts, attorneys general from twenty other states as well as Kentucky’s governor are participating in this legal action.
