'Egregious overstep': Texas advocacy group speaks on ICE accessing Medicaid data

WASHINGTON - The Trump administration has struck a deal to give immigration officials access to Medicaid enrollees' personal data. 

It's expected ICE will use the information to try to track down immigrants who may not be living legally in the US.

ICE to get access to Medicaid records

A DHS spokesperson tells FOX 4 the new initiative will help ensure undocumented migrants do not have access to Medicaid benefits.

While patient rights advocates call it an "unprecedented" move that violates a person's civil rights, even if they're in the country illegally.

Under the new deal reached between DHS and the "centers for Medicare and Medicaid services," ICE agents will soon have access to the personal information of nearly 79 million Medicaid enrollees.

According to the Associated Press, the data will be used to identify and locate people ICE believes are in the country unlawfully.

What they're saying:

"The American people elected more border enforcement," said Vice President JD Vance. "And that's exactly what the president is trying to deliver."

Some say it's a sharp contrast from the president's initial message of going after "the worst of the worst" violent criminals first.

Vance, though, says any illegal migrant is "fair game."

"What the president has said is we really want to focus on the illegal immigrants who came during the Biden administration. But also, we're enforcing everywhere," Vance said.

Critics, however, argue everybody has the right to health care in America.

The other side:

"Public health doesn’t care whether we have a current immigration status or what our income is," Lynn Cowles said. 

Cowles is with Every Texan, a non-profit group based in Austin that advocates for public policies to expand equitable access to services like quality healthcare.

"This is an egregious overstepping of access to individuals’ personal information. Health programs are sacred, or at least they have been," said Cowles.

She says federal dollars are not allocated for people in the US illegally, but explains that undocumented citizens who receive emergency care at a public hospital, and can't pay for it, are put into the Medicaid system.

Cowles says the new initiative will have a chilling effect on the total migrant community.

"Many people will avoid emergency rooms and hospitals when they possibly can because of policies like this."

Texas to collect migrants' hospital records

Local perspective:

Here in Texas, last August Gov. Greg Abbott signed an executive order directing the State Health Agency to collect information on illegal migrants who use Texas public hospitals.

State data shows that added up in fiscal year 2025 to more than 109,000 patients, totaling over $447 million.

Big picture view:

The White House points to states like California, accusing Democratic leaders there of cheating the system.

"Let's be honest about what they're doing. They're literally taking medication and medical services away from poor Americans so that they can give it to illegal immigrants."

What's next:

On Thursday, the California Democratic Attorney General called the agreement "reckless and a weaponization of private, sensitive data."

The AG filed a preliminary injunction to try and stop it. A hearing is set for August 7.