INTERNATIONAL REFUGEE ASSISTANCE PROJECT, INC. v. U.S. CITIZENSHIP & IMMIGRATION SERVICES

We have added 95 documents from 18 FOIA cases filed between December 3, 2023 and December 9, 2023. Note that there can be delays between the date a case is filed and when it shows up on PACER. If there are filings from this period that have yet to be posted on PACER, this FOIA Project list may not be complete.

Click on a case title below to view details for that case, including links to the associated docket and complaint documents.

1. INTERNATIONAL REFUGEE ASSISTANCE PROJECT, INC. v. U.S. CITIZENSHIP & IMMIGRATION SERVICES (filed Dec 8, 2023)
   International Refugee Assistance Project submitted four FOIA requests to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for records concerning refugee client applications for USRAP resettlement. The agency acknowledged receipt of the requests. The agency disclosed some records but withheld others. IRAP filed administrative appeals of the denials. After hearing nothing further from the agency, IRAP filed suit.
   Issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Litigation – Attorney’s fees, Adequacy – Search
2. Sharp-Stilliard v. United States Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement (filed Dec 6, 2023)
   Jennifer Sharp-Stilliard, a British citizen, submitted a FOIA request to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for records concerning the agency’s investigation of charges of sexual assault brought by Colton Terry against Sharp-Stilliard as a result of a 2018 incident during a trip to Vancouver, British Columbia. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request. The agency told Sharp-Stilliard that it located a file of 73 pages, but released only two pages, because of various exemption claims. Sharp-Stilliard filed an administrative appeal of the denial. The agency upheld its original decision. Sharp-Stilliard then filed suit.
   Issues: Litigation – Attorney’s fees
3. Immigrant Legal Defense v. Department of Homeland Security et al (filed Dec 8, 2023)
   Immigrant Legal Defense submitted two FOIA requests to the Department of Homeland Security for records. The first request asked for records concerning the agency’s policies on the recording practices of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The second request asked for video and audio records of ICE enforcement actions in California between September 2020 and October 2020. ILD also requested a fee waiver. The agency acknowledged receipt of the requests. After hearing nothing further from the agency, ILD filed suit.
   Issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy – Search, Litigation – Vaughn index, Litigation – Attorney’s fees
4. Jewish Legal News, Inc. v. U.S. Customs and Border Protection et al (filed Dec 4, 2023)
   Jewish Legal News submitted a FOIA request to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for records concerning incidents in where individuals affiliated with Hamas or Hezbollah have been detected trying to enter the U.S. through the southern border. JLN also requested expedited processing. The agency acknowledged receipt4 of the request. The agency rejected the request as being too broad to search. JLN narrowed its request. The agency told JLN that its request was being referred to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which had responsive records. After hearing nothing further from the agency, JLN filed suit.
   Issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy – Search, Litigation – Attorney’s fees
5. Voice of San Diego et al v. U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission et al (filed Dec 8, 2023)
   Voice of San Diego submitted two FOIA requests to the International Boundary and Water Commission for records. The first request asked for records concerning the Tijuana River Border Barrier Project. The second request asked for records concerning the International Wastewater Treatment plant facilities assessment. VSD also requested expedited processing and a fee waiver for both requests. The agency acknowledged receipt of the requests. After hearing nothing further from the agency, VSD filed suit.
   Issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Litigation – Attorney’s fees
6. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY & OVERSIGHT v. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (filed Dec 3, 2023)
   Government Accountability & Oversight submitted a FOIA request to the SEC for records concerning email correspondence of four SEC officials sent to or from four specified email domains over a specified period of time. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request. After hearing nothing further from the agency, GAO filed suit.
   Issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Litigation – Attorney’s fees
7. CITIZENS UNITED v. UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE (filed Dec 4, 2023)
   Citizens United submitted a FOIA request to U.S. Secret Service for records concerning communications between employees of the Secret Service and any employee of the Executive Office of the President relating to the small amount of cocaine discovered in the West Wing on or around July 2, 2023. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request. The agency told Citizens United that it would withhold records under Exemption 6 (invasion of privacy). Citizens United filed an administrative appeal. The agency then told Citizens United that it would search for responsive records. However, after hearing nothing further from the agency, Citizens United filed suit.
   Issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy – Search, Litigation – Vaughn index, Litigation – Attorney’s fees
8. FEDS FOR FREEDOM v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (filed Dec 4, 2023)
   Feds for Freedom submitted a FOIA request to the Department of Defense for records concerning communications to/from David Soldow related to COVID-19 and Operation Warp Speed. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request. The agency asked Feds for Freedom to clarify the scope of its request. After hearing nothing further from the agency, Feds for Freedom filed suit.
   Issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Litigation – Attorney’s fees
9. FEDS FOR FREEDOM v. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (filed Dec 5, 2023)
   Feds for Freedom submitted a FOIA request to the Department of Labor concerning records related to the efforts conducted on multiple databases to track compliance with the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The agency acknowledged receipt of the receipt and asked Feds for Freedom to provide more information about its public interest status. The agency eventually administratively closed the request because Feds for Freedom had not provided the information it was requesting to assess its status. Feds for Freedom then filed suit.
   Issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Litigation – Attorney’s fees
10. MOON v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL et al (filed Dec 4, 2023)
    Darrell Moon submitted a FOIA request to the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Justice for records. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request but after hearing nothing further from the agency, Moon filed suit.
    Issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit
11. U.S. INVENTOR, INC. v. UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE (filed Dec 7, 2023)
    U.S. Inventor, Inc. submitted a FOIA request to U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for records concerning pay records showing bonus awards to each Administrative Patent Judge. U.S. Inventor, Inc. also requested a fee waiver. The agency acknowledged receipt of the records. The agency denied U.S. Inventor, Inc’s request for a fee waiver and told it that the cost of the requested documents would be $588.47. U.S. Inventor paid the requested fees. The agency told U.S. Inventor that it would the records under Exemption 6 (invasion of privacy). U.S Inventor filed an administrative appeal. The agency upheld its denial of the fee waiver but granted U.S. Inventor access to some of the requested records. After hearing nothing further from the agency, U.S. Inventor filed suit.
    Issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy – Search, Litigation – Attorney’s fees
12. MOON v. U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE (filed Dec 4, 2023)
    Darrell Moon submitted a FOIA request to U.S. Marshals Service for records. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request but after hearing nothing further from the agency, Moon filed suit.
    Issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit
13. PROTECT THE PUBLIC'S TRUST v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (filed Dec 8, 2023)
    Protect the Public’s Trust submitted a FOIA request to the Department of Health and Human Services for records concerning Assistant Secretary Rachel Levine’s claim that gender-affirming care is medically necessary. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request. After hearing nothing further from the agency, PPT filed suit.
    Issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Litigation – Attorney’s fees
14. BROWN v. U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES (filed Dec 8, 2023)
    Steven Brown submitted three FOIA requests to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for records, one of which concerned the FY-2016 to FY-2023 H-1B cap and all internal guidance on the revocation of cap-subject petitions and reallocation of visas. The agency acknowledged receipt of the requests but after hearing nothing further from the agency concerning any of his requests, Brown filed suit.
    Issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Litigation – Attorney’s fees, Adequacy – Search
15. KHATCHADOURIAN v. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION et al (filed Dec 8, 2023)
    New Yorker reporter Raffi Khatchadourian submitted a FOIA request to the FBI for records concerning its investigation of Greenpeace that took place in the 1970s. The FBI acknowledged receipt of the request. The agency told Khatchadourian that it had inadvertently listed his time frame from 1967 to 1976 rather than 1976 to 1977. After hearing nothing further from the agency, Khatchadourian filed suit.
    Issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Litigation – Attorney’s fees
16. Sowe v. Navy Federal Credit Union (filed Dec 4, 2023)
    Herbert Gustavius Sowe filed suit against the Navy Credit Union alleging it did not allow him access to his account. This is not a FOIA case.
    Issues: FOIA not mentioned
17. Gilsenan v. Social Security Administration (filed Dec 7, 2023)
    Pamela Ann Gilsenan submitted a FOIA request to the Social Security Administration for records. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request but after hearing nothing further from the agency, Gilsenan filed suit.
    Issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy – Search, Litigation – Attorney’s fees
18. Esposito v. Social Security Administration (filed Dec 8, 2023)
    Darlene Esposito submitted a FOIA request to the Social Security Administration for records concerning herself. After hearing nothing further from the agency, Esposito filed suit.
    Issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit