Washington, D.C. (July 8, 2019) – The Center for Immigration Studies filed a lawsuit this week against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to compel the agency to comply with the Center's May 14, 2019, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. ICE failed to comply with the time limit set forth in federal statute with respect to the FOIA request for information that would allow the Center to assess the influx of migrants at the southern border.
The FOIA request seeks 20 years of information pertaining to ICE's intake and removal records, including dates, durations, and countries of origin.
Steve Camarota, the Center's director of research, said, "The Center has brought this action against ICE in an effort to secure more data about the aliens entering our country. With the number of families and minors crossing the border at record highs, this information is more important than ever."