Colorado Joins Lawsuit to Stop Medicaid Data Transfer to ICE

DENVER — Colorado has joined a multistate lawsuit aimed at blocking the federal government from transferring Medicaid enrollees’ personal health data to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the lawsuit argues that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) violated several federal laws by granting DHS and ICE unrestricted access to sensitive Medicaid data.

According to the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, the move stems from a new policy under the Trump administration. Though not publicly announced, the policy reportedly allowed for the use of personal Medicaid data for immigration enforcement—despite longstanding legal protections.

“There’s no reason to share this sensitive data with immigration or law enforcement agencies,” said Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser. “We’re suing to protect Colorado’s Medicaid program and the health and welfare of the people it serves.”

Reports indicate that the data transfer was ordered by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s advisers, and it included information from states such as California, Illinois, Washington, and Washington, D.C.—all of which permit non-citizens to access Medicaid programs. Medicaid officials reportedly tried to block the transfer but were overruled.

The lawsuit, backed by 20 states including Arizona, New York, and Oregon, claims the transfer violates multiple laws, including:

The Administrative Procedure Act
The Spending Clause
The Social Security Act
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
The Privacy Act
The Federal Information Security Modernization Act

The states are asking the court to stop any further data transfers and prevent the federal government from using the information for immigration enforcement purposes. The suit comes amid reports that the data may be used to build a large database for mass deportations and immigration crackdowns.

Colorado’s inclusion in the case underscores the state’s ongoing push to protect immigrant communities and safeguard the confidentiality of health data collected through public programs like Medicaid.

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