Immigration Authorities Access Medicaid Data: Privacy Concerns Raised

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials will gain access to personal data of 79 million Medicaid enrollees to locate undocumented immigrants. The agreement between Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Department of Homeland Security has not been publicly released, raising privacy concerns amidst hardline immigration policies.

The Associated Press reported Thursday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials will receive access to personal data from 79 million Medicaid enrollees. The initiative aims to track undocumented immigrants reportedly residing in the U.S. illegally.

This move follows a recent agreement signed between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Department of Homeland Security, although the deal remains undisclosed to the public, the report states.

Medicaid, funded by both federal and state governments, excludes illegal immigrants as beneficiaries. Accessing enrollee data, including ethnicities and home addresses, indicates an escalation of the Trump administration's stringent immigration policies, sparking significant privacy concerns.

(With inputs from agencies.)