FOIA Advisor

Court opinion issued Aug. 30, 2024

Court Opinions (2024)Allan BlutsteinComment

Stevens v. HHS (N.D. Ill.) -- finding that: (1) U.S. Customs and Border Protection performed adequate search for records concerning Congresswoman’s communications with CBP about electronic health records, and that the agency properly withheld certain records pursuant to Exemption 5 (DPP), 6, and 7(C); (2) CBP unreasonably declined to search for certain “DHS communications and related materials created by or received from other components of DHS”; and (3) CBP failed to sufficiently explain why it limited its search for certain communications with lobbyists and private companies to the recollection of a single employee within the procurement office; and (4) CBP conducted reasonable search for certain records concerning a third party and that CBP properly closed another request in the absence of a signed third party authorization form, which plaintiff failed to prove she submitted.

Summaries of all published opinions issued in 2024 are available here. Earlier opinions are available here.