Medicaid Data in ICE’s Hands

TUESDAY, JULY 29

PROGRAM #10850 12:00 PM PT

Medicaid Data in ICE’s Hands. 

Federal immigration officials now have access to the personal information of millions of people enrolled in the government’s Medicaid health insurance program. Agents may use this data to locate and deport undocumented immigrants. State governments are condemning the move as an abuse of power and have filed lawsuits. What kind of data will be shared? What does the agreement between agencies entail? How will this affect access to health care services?

Guest: Hector Hernandez-Delgado, Senior Attorney, National Health Law Program, Los Angeles, CA.

Venezuelans ‘Exchanged’. In a surprising prisoner swap, over 250 Venezuelan migrants were released from a mega-prison in El Salvador in exchange for 10 U.S. citizens and permanent residents held in Venezuela. The trilateral deal comes after the migrants had spent three months in Salvadoran detention without due process. According to investigative reports, the vast majority had no serious criminal charges and were not hiding; they were actively pursuing legal pathways to remain in the U.S. What are the implications of this controversial exchange?

Guest: Melissa Sanchez, Reporter, ProPublica, Chicago, IL.

DACA Uncertainty. The recent arrests of young people protected by DACA highlight a harsh reality: not even those with legal protection are safe from the mass raids carried out by the Trump administration. Cases of violence during arrests have caused alarm among advocacy organizations, which are demanding urgent action from Congress. The Home Is Here campaign calls for recognition of this generation’s roots and dignity. How long will the promise of protection remain as fragile as the political climate?

Guest: Marielena Hincapié, Distinguished Immigration Fellow and Visiting Scholar, Cornell Immigration Law and Policy Program, Cornell University, Washington, DC.

Photo: ICE/Flickr

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