Twenty states, led by California, have initiated a legal battle against the Trump administration’s alleged misuse of Medicaid data. The lawsuit argues that the sharing of personal health information with ICE violates the Medicaid Act, which allows for data sharing only under narrow public health-related circumstances. This legal move is set to take place in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.

Bonta’s Statement

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has called out President Trump, along with key officials like Kristi Noem and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for allegedly weaponizing Medicaid data to support federal immigration enforcement. According to Bonta, this action threatens the privacy of millions of individuals enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP.

States Involved

The lawsuit includes participation from states such as Connecticut, Arizona, Illinois, and New York. Collectively, they seek to block the use of transferred data in immigration enforcement.

Legal Demands

The plaintiffs are asking the court to stop the further transfer of Medicaid data and to prevent DHS from using any information already obtained.

This legal dispute arises after reports revealed that in June 2025, HHS transferred Medicaid records containing sensitive personal health information to DHS. The lawsuit’s core concern is the use of this data by ICE to track individuals for immigration purposes, a move that many states argue jeopardizes the privacy and safety of millions of individuals.