Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials will have access to the personal data of the 79 million Medicaid enrollees in the country, which includes residential addresses, to track potential immigrants who may be living in the United States illegally.
The information will allow ICE officials to locate “the whereabouts of aliens” across the country, according to the agreement signed Monday between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Department of Homeland Security.
The blatant disclosure of the personal health data of millions of people to deportation officials is the latest move, in order of time, regarding the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, eager to carry out the largest deportation campaign in American history, with a goal of arresting up to 3,000 people a day.
Such an arrangement could now cause widespread alarm among people seeking medical care for themselves or their loved ones. Other efforts to crack down on illegal immigration have already made schools, churches, and courthouses dangerous for immigrants, and even U.S. citizens who fear being caught in a raid.
At present, it is unclear whether the Department of Homeland Security has already accessed the information. Deputy Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that the two agencies “are exploring an initiative to ensure that illegal aliens are not receiving Medicaid benefits that are meant for law-abiding Americans.”
The database will reveal to ICE officials the names, addresses, dates of birth, ethnic information, and Social Security numbers of all people enrolled in Medicaid. The state and federally-funded program provides health coverage to the less economically stable, including millions of children.
Immigration officials will not be able to download the data in question, but will be able to access it for a “limited” period, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, until Sept. 9.
Immigrants who do not live legally in the United States, as well as some who do reside legally, cannot enroll in the Medicaid program. However, federal law requires all states to offer temporary coverage that includes only life-saving emergency room services for anyone, including non-U.S. citizens.
“HHS and CMS take the integrity of the Medicaid program and the protection of American taxpayer dollars extremely seriously,” said a health and human services (HHS) spokesperson, Emily Hilliard who later criticized the Biden administration for opening the door for illegal immigrants to take advantage of Medicaid.
Hilliard explained that the data sharing is part of an “oversight effort – supported by lawful interagency data sharing with DHS” that “is focused on identifying waste, fraud, and systemic abuse. We are not only protecting taxpayer dollars – we are restoring credibility to one of America’s most vital programs.”
In early July, the president and congressional Republicans cut $1 trillion from the Medicaid program, which will result in the loss of coverage for about 12 million beneficiaries over a nine-year period.
