For months, Democrats have insisted that illegal immigrants are not getting taxpayer-funded healthcare, either via Medicare or Medicaid. Two weeks ago, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson even dropped a video compiling Democrats and their media allies saying as much.
CNN's Kaitlan Collins said, "People who are here in the United States illegally have never been eligible for the Obamacare subsidies, for Medicare, or for Medicaid." Her colleague Jake Tapper also said it wasn't happening, telling Johnson himself, "So just as a point of fact," Tapper said, "it's against the law for non-citizens to get those subsidies."
Meet the Press host Kristen Welker also claimed it wasn't happening. "Undocumented immigrants, as you know, are actually ineligible for federal healthcare...Right now, undocumented immigrants are not eligible for federal healthcare programs," she said.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also said similar things. Gavin Newsom proved them all liars, as Johnson's video showed.
But now a judge has ruled in favor of the Trump administration, dealing another blow to the Democratic Party's lie about illegal immigrants getting Medicaid benefits.
U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria said the Trump administration can share location data about illegal immigrants receiving public health insurance benefits with ICE, starting in January.
Recommended
Trump admin can share immigrants’ Medicaid data with ICE, judge rules https://t.co/KjcqsKaop9
— POLITICO (@politico) December 29, 2025
Gee, how can President Trump share Medicaid data with ICE when Democrats have sworn up and down that illegal immigrants aren't getting Medicaid?
In his seven-page order, Chhabria wrote, "The sharing of such information is clearly authorized by law, and the agencies have adequately explained their decisions."
Democrat-run states opposed the data sharing, which is why the case wound its way through the court systems, including California and 21 others.
California's Attorney General Rob Bonta sued the Trump administration in July to prevent the use of Medicaid data in targeting illegal immigrants, and a spokesperson for the California Department of Justice said illegals signed up for the state's healthcare program believing their data would be used for healthcare purposes alone.
"The Trump Administration’s effort to use Medicaid data for immigration enforcement is a violation of their trust and will lead to fewer people seeking vital healthcare," the spokesperson said in a statement.
If such a ruling means fewer illegals will use taxpayer money to get healthcare — healthcare Democrats said they weren't getting in the first place — that's a win.
Even Politico admits illegal immigrants aren't eligible to enroll in federal Medicaid programs. Still, California, Illinois, Colorado, New York, Washington, Oregon, and Minnesota allow people on Medicaid regardless of their immigration status.
The ruling limits data sharing to those in the United States illegally and may include citizenship, immigration status, address, phone number, date of birth, and Medicaid ID. It also prohibits the collection of information from other immigrants receiving Medicaid and bars HHS and ICE from sharing "potentially sensitive medical information."
DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the ruling is a "victory for the rule of law and American taxpayers."
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump, illegal immigration into our great country has virtually stopped. Despite the radical left's lies, new legislation wasn't needed to secure our border, just a new president.
Help us continue to report the truth about the president's border policies and mass deportations. Join Townhall VIP and use promo code MERRY74 to get 74% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member