The California Medical Association (CMA), representing more than 50,000 physicians across California, is responding to news that the Trump Administration will be sharing sensitive medical information, including immigration status, with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, exclusively for Medicaid enrollees.

“As a pediatrician, I see patients and their parents in some of their most joyous and vulnerable moments,” said CMA President Shannon Udovic-Constant, M.D.. “At no time when my patients seek care should they ever have to worry about what information will be shared with anyone else about their health, well-being, insurance coverage or their documentation. As physicians, we are solely focused on providing health care to our patients and our relationship with them is sacrosanct. No personal information about patients should ever be disclosed by the federal government to anyone outside the health care space.”

The action by the Trump Administration will put nearly 15 million patients and their families at risk in California.

“Our job is not protecting the borders, it’s protecting our patients and providing the best health care possible. When patients come to us it’s often the most vulnerable times in their lives, and we offer a safe space for their care” said CMA President-Elect Rene Bravo, M.D. “It’s not our job to ascertain if our patients are citizens; the consequences could destroy a family and that information is irrelevant to providing health care. These actions to send sensitive Medicaid patient information to deportation officials will have a devastating impact on communities and access to care that all people need, and millions will be harmed by these disclosures in ways that we cannot imagine. This is not an immigration issue, it’s a human issue.”

One third of California’s personal information is at risk of being transmitted to the Department of Homeland Security with this action.