FOIA
Seeking Records about Immigration Court Arrests and Dismissals
In the middle of May 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) began to arrest noncitizens at immigration courts throughout the country at their court hearings. Initially, the agency targeted only those whose immigration cases an immigration judge had just dismissed at its request, seemingly because it could now attempt… Read More
The Council Received Data on City-Level Refugee Resettlement From the Department of State
Background Through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, the United States accepts tens of thousands of refugees each year. Before coming to the United States as refugees, individuals undergo a long and arduous process: they must prove they either have been persecuted or… Read More
Seeking Records about DHS’s Renewed Mass Influx Declaration and Deputization of State and Local Law Enforcement as Immigration Officers
Council and ACLU-MI file a FOIA request for records about the basis of the DHS Secretary’s renewed mass influx determination and the supervision and training of state and local law enforcement officers acting as immigration officers thanks to this determination. Read More
Investigating ICE’s Changes to Parole Policies and Other Implementation of President Trump’s Day One Immigration Actions
This FOIA request seeks all memoranda, musters, guidance, and other similar records in the implementation of the “Securing Our Borders” Executive Order and “Guaranteeing the States Protection Against Invasion” Presidential Proclamation. Read More
Council and AILA Submit FOIA Request Seeking Information on Trump Administration Suspension of Green Card Applications
On March 25, 2025, media reports surfaced indicating U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)—the agency in charge of approving green card applications—stopped processing green card applications filed by asylees and refugees. The suspension would affect refugees, which the U.S. government has already… Read More
The Council and NIP File FOIA on How USCIS’ Alien Smuggling Determinations Impact Approval of Immigration Benefits
This FOIA request seeks records and data from USCIS about how the agency determines whether a migrant smuggled another person into the United States. Read More
Seeking Records about DHS’s Unprecedent Mass Influx Declaration and Associated Agreements With State and Local Law Enforcement
The Council and Documented NY filed FOIA requests for records undergirding the DHS Secretary’s novel mass influx determination and agreements that involve state and local law enforcement officers in immigration enforcement. Read More
Council and RMIAN File FOIA Seeking Information about Detrimental Transfers of People in ICE Custody
Council and RMIAN seek records to shed light on why people in ICE custody are moved to different detention centers across the country with limited explanation and without notifying their families or attorneys. Read More
Council Lawsuit Challenges USCIS Policies for Withholding Information in Refugee Case Files
This FOIA lawsuit seeks to compel U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) to end policies of unlawfully withholding application assessments, interview notes, and other records from refugees’ case files. Read More
The Council Received Data on City-Level Refugee Resettlement From the Department of State
A FOIA request provided demographic data on refugees resettled in the U.S. from October 2017 to December 2024, which the Council used to create a state-level visualization tool showing refugee nationality, age, gender, education, and English proficiency, while protecting individual privacy by redacting data in areas with fewer than 50 resettlements. Read More
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