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John,
The American Immigration Council is holding the immigration agencies accountable for their lack of transparency. “This Month in Government Transparency” will highlight our efforts—and expose government documents we’ve uncovered.
Sincerely,
Emily Creighton
Legal Director, Transparency
THE LATEST FILINGS
- Investigating Border Patrol’s Raids on Humanitarian Aid
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) launched two military-style raids on a humanitarian aid station in the deadly Arizona desert. The aid group targeted believes CBP’s actions were retaliatory.
The Council filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with Skylight to uncover CBP’s actions and further expose its militarized response to the provision of humanitarian aid.
- Uncovering Immigration Court Operations During COVID-19
Individuals have died from the virus after visiting immigration courts. However, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR)—the agency that oversees immigration courts—has repeatedly ignored requests for information about its policies responding to the pandemic.
The Council filed a FOIA request with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the National Lawyers Project for the National Lawyers Guild (NIPNLG) for records to close the gap on the public’s understanding of EOIR’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
WHO WE'RE SUING — AND WHY
Customs and Border Protection
- CBP failed to disclose critical information about the deployment of its personnel and assets to nationwide protests in the wake of George Floyd’s killing. So we’re suing them. Read more »
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, CBP may have violated laws designed to protect unaccompanied migrant children who are fleeing harm and seeking protection in the United States.
The Council and the Center for the Human Rights of Children at Loyola University Chicago School of Law sought records about how CBP implemented a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention order that may have resulted in the unlawful detention and deportation of migrant youth. CBP did not respond to our request. Our lawsuit demands CBP release the requested records. Read more »
Executive Office for Immigration Review
- EOIR under the Trump administration expanded immigration courts and instituted “immigration adjudication centers”—locations that hear and decide hundreds of removal proceedings each year. The lack of information about how they operate and where they will be located undermines fairness. The Council—with partners at the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), AILA, and the Chicago AILA Chapter—filed a lawsuit after EOIR failed to meaningfully respond to our request. Read more »
DOCUMENT DIVE
- Before pursing litigation against EOIR, the Council and its partners received just a handful of documents from the government about immigration adjudication centers (IACs).
These centers supposedly are designed to create “judicial efficiency”—but they raise serious due process concerns. What we know so far: two centers already exist in Falls, Church, VA and Fort Worth, TX. After reviewing the documents, it’s clear the Trump administration is contemplating at least five other IACs for Chicago, IL; Northern Virginia; Orange County, CA and two in Houston, TX. Explore the documents.
- The Council will continue to review records obtained through FOIA requests about family separation under the Trump administration. We found emails and records from government officials trying to make separating families more palatable to the public. See our analysis and the documents.
DIG DEEPER
The American Immigration Council works to hold the government accountable on immigration issues. We harness freedom of information requests, litigation, and advocacy to expose wrongdoing and promote transparency within immigration agencies.
Make a year-end donation today.
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