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King County health officials, advocates urge protections for asylum seekers amid federal Medicaid changes and data sharing concerns
Summary
Boarders of Health briefing and public comment on July 17, 2025 centered on health access for refugees and asylum seekers, with presenters and public commenters urging county action after federal Medicaid cuts and a federal data-sharing incident raised fears about deportation and health-care avoidance.
Director of Public Health Seattle & King County Faisal Khan and community advocates told the King County Board of Health on July 17 that growing federal policy changes and a recent federal data-sharing incident are damaging trust and access to health care for refugees, asylees and other immigrant groups. "We do not cooperate with ICE, nor do we share your data with anyone," Director Faisal Khan said, urging residents not to forego clinical care.
Why it matters: Board members, public commenters and legal advocates said the combined effect of the federal budget reconciliation bill, resulting Medicaid cuts, and the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) decision to share certain data with the Department of Homeland Security risks causing many residents to avoid care and could double the number of uninsured people in King County.
The board heard personal testimony from people with lived experience and two community…
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