Reps. Juan Vargas, Sydney Kamlager-Dove Lead Federal Effort to Block Immigrants’ Personal Data from Being Used Against them for Deportations

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Representatives Juan Vargas (D-CA-52) and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37) led colleagues in introducing two new bills to protect immigrant families by blocking federal agencies from sharing personal data with DHS for immigration enforcement purposes. A livestream of the press conference is available here.

Recently, DHS officials have been given unprecedented access to the sensitive personal data of millions – including home addresses and ethnicities – through data sharing agreements with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). These disclosures upend privacy protections and represent an extreme escalation in Trump’s out-of-control immigration crackdown. 

To combat these threats, Reps. Vargas and Kamlager-Dove introduced legislation to block federal agencies from sharing personal data with ICE and DHS for immigration enforcement. Rep. Vargas’s Home Together Act stops HUD from sharing data, while Rep. Kamlager-Dove’s Limiting ICE’s Nationwide Encroachment (LINE) Act prohibits HHS and CMS from sharing Medicaid data. 

"The Trump Administration is going to extraordinary lengths to target and terrorize our immigrant communities. And in recent months, Trump has opened up a new front by attempting to mine federal health and housing data and turn it over to immigration enforcement officials," said Rep. Juan Vargas. "Private, sensitive Medicaid and housing data should never be weaponized to fuel this mass deportation agenda. I'm proud to introduce legislation alongside my colleague, Rep. Kamlager-Dove, to protect immigrant families and protect everyone's data." 

"Less than a year into his presidency, Donald Trump has slashed funding for essential programs, terrorized communities with lawless ICE raids, and now wants to use data from the very programs he gutted to track down our immigrant neighbors? It’s a hell no from me,” said Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove. “I’m proud to partner with Rep. Vargas in introducing legislation to block HHS, CMS, and HUD from data sharing with ICE. Healthcare or housing should never be conditioned on immigration status or fear of government surveillance, and fear of immigration enforcement should not stop people from seeking these necessities.”

“Your home should be your sanctuary. Mi casa, su casa. But under Trump, nothing is sacred anymore, not even family. Parents are afraid to open the door, and kids are afraid their mom will not come back from the grocery store. That is the fear this administration feeds on. The Home Together Act and the Limiting ICE’s National Encroachment Act are about one simple thing: protecting families. No president, no Felon in the White House, should ever be allowed to use housing or healthcare as a weapon to tear families apart,” said Rep. Sylvia R. Garcia. 

"We cannot let Donald Trump use the Department of Housing and Urban Development as another means to harass immigrants.  Trump's gross invasion of personal information misuses taxpayer dollars that instead could put more roofs over Americans' heads.  I’m grateful to Rep. Vargas for leading this effort to protect immigrant communities and ensure HUD upholds its mission," said Rep. Sam Liccardo.

“Every family deserves access to housing and healthcare without fear that their information will be used against them,” said Rep. Rob Menendez. “These bills are about keeping families secure, regardless of their immigration status. Healthcare and housing should be sources of stability, not tools to create fear or division. I’m grateful to my colleagues for their partnership in moving this legislation forward. We will never stop fighting for those we represent.”

“In the past 8 months, the Trump Administration has abused private, confidential data willingly provided to the IRS, HUD, HHS, and other agencies by our hard-working, law-abiding immigrant neighbors to racially profile, harass, and terrorize them. We should all be alarmed. Because make no mistake: today, the targets are immigrants. Tomorrow, it could be anyone," said Rep. Delia Ramirez. "I am proud to stand as a co-lead of Congressman Vargas's Home Together Act and a cosponsor of Congresswoman Kamlager Dove's Limiting ICE's National Encroachment Act to fight back against Trump’s administration data abuses and weaponization of our neighbors' confidential information."

“No one’s personal information should ever be used against them,” said Rep. Luz Rivas. “Our communities deserve to live in safety and without the fear that their private information will be turned over to ICE. I am proud to be a co-sponsor on Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove’s and Congressman Vargas’ bills that protect highly sensitive information from being abused by the Trump Administration.”

The Home Together Act is co-led by Reps. Sylvia Garcia, Sam Liccardo, Rob Menendez, and Delia Ramirez and cosponsored by Reps. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Bennie G. Thompson, Rashida Tlaib, Mark Takano, Nanette Barragán, Yvette Clarke, Sara Jacobs, Lateefah Simon, Jan Schakowsky, Jim Costa, Betty McCollum, Ted W. Lieu, Yassamin Ansari, Jimmy Gomez, Dan Goldman, Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr., George Latimer, Nydia M. Velazquez, Suzan DelBene, Dwight Evans, Luz Rivas, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Eleanor Holmes Norton, John B. Larson, and Nikema Williams. 

The LINE Act is cosponsored by Reps. Adriano Espaillat, Henry C. "Hank" Johnson Jr., Steve Cohen, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Jasmine Crockett, Rashida Tlaib, Terri A. Sewell, Andre Carson, Juan Vargas, Sylvia R. Garcia, Lateefah Simon, Ted Lieu, Yassamin Ansari, Luz Rivas, Nydia M. Velazquez, Daniel S. Goldman, and Sara Jacobs. 

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