AG Bonta Asks Court to Enforce Order Blocking Medicaid Data Sharing with ICE

CA Attorney General Press Releases

Filed March 27th, 2026

Detected March 28th, 2026

Summary

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, leading a multistate coalition, has asked a federal court to enforce a prior order blocking the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from obtaining and using Medicaid recipient data. The coalition alleges the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shared a large data set with ICE, despite a court ruling that much of this data is off-limits.

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What changed

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, on behalf of a multistate coalition, has filed a motion with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to enforce a preliminary injunction. The injunction previously blocked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from obtaining and using data of Medicaid recipients residing lawfully in the United States. The coalition alleges that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has shared a "large and complex data set" with ICE, potentially violating the court's order. The motion seeks to confirm the scope of the original order applies to all lawfully residing individuals and requires the federal government to disclose what data was shared and how ICE is using it.

This action is critical for compliance officers overseeing data privacy and handling sensitive personal information, particularly concerning healthcare and immigration status. The immediate implication is the need to understand the scope of the original injunction and the potential violation alleged. While this is an enforcement action related to a prior order, it highlights the risks associated with inter-agency data sharing of sensitive information. Regulated entities should review their own data sharing agreements and ensure compliance with privacy regulations, especially when dealing with government agencies and sensitive populations. The AG's office is seeking confirmation of the order's scope and an explanation from the federal government, indicating a potential for further legal scrutiny and stricter data protection measures.

What to do next

Review internal data sharing policies for sensitive health and immigration-related data.
Ensure all data sharing agreements with government agencies clearly define permissible uses and comply with existing court orders and privacy laws.
Monitor legal developments regarding data sharing between HHS and ICE, and similar inter-agency data transfers.

Source document (simplified)

Attorney General Bonta Asks Court to Enforce Order Blocking HHS from Sharing Large Swaths of Medicaid Data with ICE

Press Release
Attorney General Bonta Asks Court to Enforce Order Blocking …

Friday, March 27, 2026 Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta, leading a multistate coalition, asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to enforce its preliminary injunction blocking U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from obtaining and using the data of Medicaid recipients who are lawfully residing in the United States. Attorney General Bonta and the coalition’s recent communications with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) indicate that HHS shared with ICE a “a large and complex data set” of Medicaid recipient data, even though the Court unambiguously held that much Medicaid data, including that of citizens and lawful permanent residents, is “off limits.” The exact contents of this data set are unclear. In filing its motion to enforce, the coalition also asks the court to confirm the scope of its original order includes all individuals lawfully residing in the U.S. and require the federal government to explain what data has been shared by HHS, and how ICE is using that data.

“The Trump Administration appears to be defying a direct court order blocking it from sharing the personal, sensitive data of individuals including U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. It’s invasive — and deeply troubling,” said Attorney General Bonta. “When Californians signed up for Medi-Cal, they did so with the understanding that their data would not be used for purposes unrelated to administering this program. I urge the court to enforce its earlier order and make clear that these guardrails exist for anyone who is lawfully residing in the United States.”

BACKGROUND

Created in 1965, Medicaid is an essential source of health insurance for lower-income individuals and particular underserved population groups, including children, pregnant women, individuals with disabilities, and seniors. The Medicaid program allows each participating state to develop and administer its own unique health plans; states must meet threshold federal statutory criteria, but they can tailor their plans’ eligibility standards and coverage options to residents’ needs. As of January 2025, 78.4 million people were enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) nationwide.

California’s Medi-Cal program provides healthcare coverage for one out of every three Californians, including more than two million noncitizens. Noncitizens include green card holders, refugees, individuals who hold temporary protected status, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival recipients, and others. Not all noncitizens are eligible for federally funded Medi-Cal services, and so California uses state-only funds to provide a version of the Medi-Cal program to all eligible state residents, regardless of their immigration status.

On July 1, 2025, California led a multistate coalition in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration arguing that HHS's mass transfer of Medicaid data to ICE violates the law and asking the court to block any new transfer or use of this data for immigration enforcement purposes. The lawsuit highlighted that the Trump Administration’s illegal actions are creating fear and confusion leading noncitizens and their family members to disenroll, or refuse to enroll, in emergency Medicaid for which they are otherwise eligible, leaving states and their safety net hospitals to foot the bill for federally mandated emergency healthcare services.

In a limited preliminary injunction order, the court allowed some data transfers, but enjoined ICE’s broader efforts to obtain sensitive health data; data of citizens, lawful permanent residents, and others residing lawfully in the U.S.; and data from other CMS administered health programs.

In filing this motion, Attorney General Bonta leads the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the Governor of Kentucky.