The Immigrant Legal Resource Center created this new, comprehensive guide about Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and other background checks in order to provide practitioners with a one-stop guide for information about why, when, where, and how to file background checks in immigration cases. This guide describes the various federal agencies and components that generally hold immigration records, explains how to request records and appeal denials or incomplete responses, and provides tips for certain circumstances, such as representing minors or immigrants in removal proceedings. The appendices include sample FOIA requests to the Department of Homeland Security (including USCIS, ICE, and CBP), the Department of State, and the Department of Justice; sample FOIA appeals and federal complaints; sample records requests to the Office of Refugee Resettlement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and many other resources for both private attorneys and nonprofit practitioners seeking records in immigration cases.
