San Francisco, California - California and 19 other states have joined forces to accuse the Trump administration of violating federal privacy laws in turning over millions of people's Medicaid data todeportation officials.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (l.) and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem are named in a new lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of violating federal privacy laws in turning over Medicaid data to deportation officials. © Collage: REUTERS & Anna Moneymaker/Pool via REUTERS
Thelawsuit – filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California – names Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Advisers to RFK Jr. in June ordered the release of a dataset to the Department of Homeland Security including private health information of people living in California, Illinois, Washington state, and Washington DC – all of which allow noncitizens to enroll in Medicaid.
"If members of our community cannot trust that the government will keep their medical history and other personal data safe, they will think twice about going to the doctor when needed," the complaint reads, leading to "irreparable damage due to increased morbidity and mortality."
"Plaintiffs bring this action to protect their State Medicaid programs, and to prevent them from being used in service of an anti-immigrant crusade, or other purposes unrelated to administration of those programs."
The state attorneys general accuse the Trump administration of violating federal laws such as the Administrative Procedure Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
"Let's be clear about what's really happening here: President Trump, Secretary Kristi Noem, and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are weaponizing Medicaid to fuel their anti-immigration campaign," California Attorney General Rob Bonta says in avideo on social media.
"This has absolutely nothing to do with protecting or preserving or improving the Medicaid program. This isn't about cutting waste or going after fraud," Bonta continues.
"This is about going after vulnerable people who entrusted the state and the federal government to help them access health care, a basic human right."
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