Investigations Update: The White House Outbreak, the Administration's Naturalization Policy, and Texas Ballot Drop Boxes
In this email:
* White House Covid-19 Outbreak and Presidential Succession
* Deportations of Children Without Guardians
* State-Level Preparations for the 2020 Presidential Election

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Here’s a look at the investigations our team has been pursuing through records requests in the last week:

White House Covid-19 Outbreak and Presidential Succession
On Monday, President Donald Trump returned ([link removed]) to the White House following three nights at the Walter Reed Medical Center after contracting Covid-19 ([link removed]) . Numerous high-ranking government officials have also tested positive ([link removed]) , and some who are in the constitutional line of succession were likely ([link removed]) at risk ([link removed]) while attending recent White House events. Despite these developments, there is still significant public uncertainty
([link removed]) over the administration’s view of the proper line of presidential succession. We filed FOIA requests ([link removed]) with the Department of Justice for communications and guidance regarding presidential succession. We also filed requests ([link removed]) to the U.S. Secret Service and Walter Reed for records of safety procedures enacted to protect the health of the president and federal employees during his treatment at the hospital.

Forced Sterilization in ICE Detention Facilities
In early September, a registered nurse who worked at a Georgia immigration detention center blew the whistle ([link removed]) on abusive practices ([link removed]) taking place at the facility. Disturbing reports ([link removed]) emerged ([link removed]) that medical staff had forced detainees to undergo unwanted hysterectomies. We filed FOIA requests ([link removed]) with the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for records concerning these reported practices, including medical
inspection ([link removed]) reports and data records ([link removed]) .

Deportations of Children Without Guardians
Among other severe immigration policies, the Trump administration has deported hundreds ([link removed]) of unaccompanied minors since the coronavirus outbreak began, many of whom have no safe place to which to return in their home countries. Administration officials claim these expulsions are meant to prevent the spread of Covid-19, but reporting has revealed ([link removed]) that migrant children testing negative are being sent away. We filed FOIA requests ([link removed]) with multiple agencies for records concerning these deportations, and for the communications ([link removed]) of Heidi Stirrup, the acting director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

Naturalization Policy and RNC Ceremony
Processing times for naturalization applications have reached a new high, averaging 8.8 months ([link removed]) in 2020. The Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus has exacerbated the situation by shutting down ([link removed]) immigration offices and postponing immigration interviews without any apparent plan to handle the resulting backlog ([link removed]) of applications. Even still, the Republican National Convention decided to air a naturalization ceremony ([link removed]) at the White House during its August broadcast. Subsequent reporting revealed that participants in that ceremony didn’t know
([link removed]) they were appearing at the convention. We filed FOIA requests ([link removed]) for communications concerning the administration’s naturalization policies, as well as for legal analyses ([link removed]) regarding the naturalization ceremony shown at the RNC.

USPS Policy Change on Ballot Witness Signatures
In July, the Postal Service changed ([link removed]) its policy of allowing postal workers to witness ballot signatures while on duty, potentially making it difficult for voters living in rural areas to meet their state’s voting-by-mail witness requirements. The change was made without a public announcement, and the agency has since claimed that the policy shift was due to “potential operational impacts.” We filed FOIA requests with USPS for records about the policy change, including impact assessments ([link removed]) on operations, complaints ([link removed]) , and related communications ([link removed]) .

State-Level Preparations for the 2020 Presidential Election
American Oversight continues to investigate ([link removed]) threats to democracy on the state level and potential federal interference in election operations. We filed the following state-related requests over the past week:
* Texas Ballot Drop Box Closures: Last Thursday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued ([link removed]) a proclamation ([link removed]) that limits ballot drop-off locations to one per county, prompting the removal of multiple drop-off sites across Texas, and leaving populous counties like Harris, the home of Houston, with just one for more than 4 million residents. We filed record requests ([link removed]) with the Governor’s Office and the Texas secretary of state for communications and assessments concerning the reduction in drop-off locations. We also filed a request
([link removed]) with the Texas attorney general for records reflecting the number of prosecutors assigned to investigate election fraud.
* Pennsylvania Voting by Mail Investigation: In a move that baffled ([link removed]) election experts, last month the Justice Department launched an investigation out of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Pennsylvania into discarded ([link removed]) ballots found in northeastern Pennsylvania. The agency also issued a related press release that former department officials said was highly improper ([link removed]) . (Pennsylvania’s secretary of state has since said the nine discarded ballots did not constitute fraud ([link removed]) .) We filed FOIA requests
([link removed]) with the Justice Department for communications about the investigation.
* State Officials’ Communications with USPS: In July, the Postal Service sent warning letters ([link removed]) to 46 states that delays in postage processing might result in uncounted ballots. According to the Washington Post, these letters were planned ([link removed]) even before current Postmaster General Louis DeJoy was appointed and began making ([link removed]) controversial cost-cutting operational changes. We filed records requests
([link removed]) with secretary of state offices in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Oklahoma for communications with USPS concerning the delays.
* Kentucky Ballot Integrity Task Force Emails: As part of our ongoing investigation ([link removed]) into the use of state “voter fraud” task forces to intimidate voters, we filed records requests ([link removed]) with the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security’s Intelligence Fusion Center Team ([link removed]) seeking specific email communications concerning the state’s Ballot Integrity Task Force.

To find out more about our work, you can follow us on Twitter at @WeAreOversight ([link removed]) and @ojocorrupcion ([link removed]) , or like us on Facebook ([link removed]) . If you are able, please consider supporting our work with a contribution here ([link removed]) .

Donate to American Oversight ([link removed])
Thank you again for following our latest news. We are grateful for your support and for helping us hold the administration accountable.

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