Attorney General Kwame Raoul and a coalition of states asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on Mar. 27 to enforce its preliminary injunction that blocks U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from accessing Medicaid data of individuals lawfully residing in the United States. The request follows communications indicating that the Department of Health and Human Services shared a large dataset of Medicaid recipient information with ICE, despite a court order restricting such disclosures.
The motion aims to protect privacy rights and prevent fear among vulnerable populations who depend on Medicaid coverage. Raoul said, “Broad sharing of data about Medicaid recipients is a violation of privacy and will have a chilling effect on the most vulnerable populations’ willingness to enroll in Medicaid programs for which they are legally eligible.” He added, “I will continue to use all the tools at my disposal to fight back against the Trump administration’s unlawful actions that target Illinoisans.”
Medicaid has been an essential source of health insurance since its creation in 1965, serving low-income individuals, children, pregnant women, people with disabilities, and seniors. As reported by the official website, the Illinois Attorney General has advocated for these groups across Illinois through various protection efforts.
In January 2025, over 78 million people were enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP nationwide. In Illinois alone, more than three million residents rely on these programs for healthcare coverage. According to the official website, the Attorney General handles thousands of consumer complaints each year and offers services such as complaint filing for consumer fraud and civil rights issues.
On July 1, 2025, Raoul joined other attorneys general in suing the Trump administration over HHS’s transfer of Medicaid data to ICE—a move alleged to violate federal law by causing noncitizens or their family members to avoid enrolling in emergency health programs out of fear their information could be used for immigration enforcement purposes.
The coalition now seeks confirmation from the court that its order protects all lawful residents’ data from being shared with ICE and requests details about what information was transferred and how it is being used by immigration authorities.
