LA County approved a motion Tuesday to take legal action against the Trump administration’s efforts to obtain immigrants’ personal, private and unrelated protected health information.

The motion is in response to a July 17 authorization for Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials allowing access to personal data of more than 79 million Medicaid participants across the country, including in California.

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“Health care is a human right – no one should be afraid to access the care they need,” said Hilda L. Solis, First District Supervisor. “Today’s actions reaffirm the County’s commitment to support our immigrant communities and ensure that our residents can receive health and social services without fear that their data will be violated or used against them.”

Due to increased aggressive federal immigration enforcement, many immigrants have become hesitant to seek health care. Hospitals, community clinics, and other service groups have noticed a significant increase in no-shows and appointment cancellations across Southern California, according to an LA county press release.

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“The Trump administration’s plan to use that data to target undocumented immigrants is not only a monstrous violation of trust, it undermines a program our health system depends on and that saves lives,” Supervisor Janice Hahn said.

The data includes home addresses, ethnicities, and other personal information that is protected under federal law by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Enacted in 1996, HIPAA protects the privacy and security of individuals’ protected health information and sets limits to data use and disclosure, according to the press release.

“The moment is now,” said Chair Pro Tem Solis. “We must denounce any attempt to unjustly target or harm our communities and stand united against dangerous federal violations.”

Since the immigration raids began in LA County, the board of supervisors has taken legal action against what it calls unlawful federal enforcement tactics.

That legal effort also led to a temporary restraining order. A hearing was held on Monday by the Trump administration’s request to pause the judge’s decision, granting how the federal government conducts the immigration enforcement operations.

California is also filing a lawsuit with 19 other states including New York, Arizona and Nevada, claiming the U.S. The Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees Medicaid, is sharing personal health data with Department of Homeland Security and ICE officials.

The suit alleges that HHS conducted the “mass transfer” of personal health care data to support the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts, violating existing laws.