Advocates Call for Congressional Review of Medicaid Data Sharing With DHS

EL PASO, TEXAS — The Associated Press reported Friday that political appointees at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services overrode the legal advice of career civil servants in sharing personal information about millions of people who get health care through Medicaid with immigration officials. AP did not publish the memo, and the report does not indicate whether the people targeted by the administration are U.S. citizens, lawfully-present immigrants, or people who are undocumented. Reportedly authored by Medicaid Deputy Director Sara Vitolo, the memo warns, according to AP, that such data sharing is barred by “multiple federal statutory and regulatory authorities.”

Reacting to the AP article, the Protecting Immigrant Families coalition (PIF) released the following statement from its director, Adriana Cadena.

“The Trump administration thinks it’s above the law, when it comes to immigration enforcement, so it’s no surprise they think they’re above federal privacy law too. Only swift and aggressive congressional oversight can end this appalling abuse of the law and the public trust.”