California Attorney General Rob Bonta has announced a lawsuit against the Trump Administration, seeking to halt what he describes as illegal data sharing between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The issue centers on ICE’s access to sensitive Medicaid recipient data.
Attorney General Bonta expressed concern over this development, stating, “I’m deeply disturbed by the Trump Administration’s reckless and unprecedented weaponization of the private, sensitive data of Medicaid recipients.” He emphasized the potential impact on individuals who may avoid essential medical care due to fears of being targeted for immigration enforcement.
The lawsuit was filed after initial reports indicated that such data sharing had occurred. Despite legal action, Bonta claims that a new agreement has been made allowing ICE access to personal health information. A hearing for a preliminary injunction is scheduled for August 7, 2025.
Bonta criticized the actions as part of an effort to use personal health data for mass deportation purposes: “We are moving quickly to secure a court order blocking the sharing of this data for immigration enforcement. The President’s efforts to pull personal, private, and unrelated health data to create a mass deportation machine cannot be allowed to continue.”
