FOIA advisers recommend independent review into how DHS handles immigration record requests

By Justin Doubleday, WFED, June 9, 2022

Congress should fund an independent review into how the Department of Homeland Security handles immigration records requests, one of the largest drivers of the Freedom of Information Act backlog, according to an advisory group.

The FOIA Advisory Committee approved its final report for the 2020-2022 term on Thursday. The committee is now seeking applications for new members ahead of the first meeting of the 2022-2024 term in September.

The committee’s final report digs into a range of legislative, technology and process recommendations, including suggestions for how to improve “first-person requests,” where individuals seek access to government records on themselves.

Read more here.