About FOIA Request Data

To add to our current comprehensive coverage on FOIA lawsuits, FOIAproject.org has begun tracking the handling of FOIA administrative requests on an agency-by-agency basis. Here are our current initiatives:

1. Agency Backlog and Processing Time Data
   TRAC requests information on the processing of FOIA requests from more than 20 of the agencies most frequently sued under FOIA. In each request letter, TRAC asks the agency for a listing of each FOIA request the agency has in its current workload, along with the dates of receipt and disposition and the particular track (regular, expedited, etc.) to which the request has been assigned. After the initial request, a new letter is sent at the end of each quarter in order to obtain updated data. For a list of agencies that received FOIA requests as part of this effort, and results on how they responded to the first round of requests, see this report.

   Once the data are received and checked, the current backlog, wait and processing times for each agency’s handling of its FOIA workload are compiled and made accessible through this interactive data tool. For more information about these data see About Agency Backlog and Processing Time Data.

   We are looking for individuals and organizations willing to “adopt an agency” so that more agencies can be added to the FOIA Project’s coverage in this area. If you are interested please use the contact form below

2. Agency Decisions on FOIA Requests
   FOIAproject.org has also begun tracking the decisions each agency makes in response to FOIA administrative requests. This expansion will also proceed on an agency-by-agency basis. Initially, information is available for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The period of coverage for ICE data begins on October 1, 2010.

   Several tools are available to help you find, list, and analyze the data. You can search requests , obtain a detail listing on a particular request, or examine statistics on agency decisions. For more information on the types of information included see About Agency Decisions on FOIA Requests.

3. User-Contributed FOIA Correspondence
   The project is seeking individuals and organizations willing to add to our coverage by sharing their FOIA correspondence with any agency — whether it consists of egregious examples of government withholding or great FOIA practices. Once uploaded, this correspondence is catalogued and made publicly accessible through our search tool for user-submitted examples.

   We will soon be offering an upload facility to let you share documentation that details how agencies are handling your FOIA request.

Contact Us

If you have questions, comments or concerns, or want to volunteer to “Adopt an Agency” so that it can be included in these data, please contact us using the form below: