SEATTLE, WA – A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction preventing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from using Medicaid data obtained from Washington and 19 other plaintiff states for immigration enforcement.

The ruling also prohibits the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from sharing Medicaid data with DHS, finding that Washington and the multistate coalition are likely to succeed in their claim that the action violated the Administrative Procedure Act’s ban on arbitrary and capricious agency action.

The injunction will remain in effect until HHS and DHS complete a decision-making process that complies with the law, or until the lawsuit concludes.

“Protecting people’s private health information is vitally important,” Washington Attorney General Nick Brown said. “And everyone should be able to seek medical care without fear of what the federal government may do with that information.”

On July 1, Washington joined a coalition led by California in suing the Trump administration over the mass transfer of Medicaid data, arguing that the move violates federal law. The lawsuit sought to block any new transfer or use of this data for immigration enforcement, citing concerns that the policy has caused fear and confusion among eligible noncitizens and their families, leading some to disenroll from or avoid enrolling in emergency Medicaid.

Washington’s Medicaid program operates under the Apple Health umbrella, which includes Apple Health Expansion — providing full-scope medical services to residents regardless of immigration status. More than 1.9 million people are enrolled in Apple Health, including about 49,000 illegal immigrants.

Brown joined attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont in filing the lawsuit.