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Lawsuit challenges alleged illegal transfer of personal health records to ICE for immigration enforcement purposes, citing violations of federal law
NEW JERSEY – New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin has joined a coalition of 16 states in a federal lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for allegedly allowing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to access personal Medicaid data for immigration enforcement, a move the states claim violates longstanding federal laws and privacy protections.
Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the lawsuit contends that this transfer of data breaches the Social Security Act, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Federal Information Security Modernization Act, the Privacy Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act. The coalition is requesting a court injunction to halt any further use or disclosure of Medicaid data for non-medical purposes.
“This is just the latest example of the callous and cruel decision-making that, tragically, has become all too common from this administration,” said Attorney General Platkin. “If people are afraid that their privacy rights will be violated, they will be unwilling to enroll in Medicaid and get the care they need to stay healthy. This will not prevent people from getting sick—instead, it will cause them to become even sicker, putting them at risk for death or disability, and will leave state taxpayers footing tremendous bills for uncompensated care delivered through hospital emergency departments.”
At issue is an alleged June 13, 2025, transfer, in which HHS reportedly provided DHS with Medicaid data files containing sensitive personal health information of millions of individuals, without public notice or consent from the states. The complaint asserts that this data could be used to support mass deportations and broad immigration enforcement activities.
The federal government has claimed the data was shared to ensure Medicaid benefits are issued only to eligible recipients. However, the lawsuit emphasizes that under federal law—including emergency Medicaid provisions—certain benefits are extended to individuals regardless of immigration status.
New Jersey, where approximately 1.9 million residents are enrolled in Medicaid, joins other states in arguing that this data sharing could deter eligible individuals, particularly noncitizens and their families, from enrolling in essential health services. The complaint asserts this could result in worse health outcomes, increased costs to state-funded hospitals, and heightened public health risks.
This multistate legal challenge includes attorneys general from California, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington, alongside New Jersey.
The coalition seeks a court ruling declaring the policy change unlawful and prohibiting DHS from utilizing Medicaid data for immigration enforcement.
