27 Sep 2022
EOIR Updates FOIA Request Process
"The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) today announced that, to more quickly and effectively respond to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act (PA) requests, requestors are strongly encouraged to submit FOIA and PA requests through EOIR’s Public Access Link (PAL). Effective Dec. 1, 2022, EOIR will no longer accept FOIA or PA requests by email. PAL offers several benefits for individuals submitting a FOIA or PA request to EOIR: • Nearly instant submission of requests; • Ability to track status of requests; • Simple and direct correspondence with EOIR’s FOIA Service Center; • Response to requests immediately upon processing; and • Downloadable records at any time after processing. To submit a FOIA or PA request, requesters may visit PAL to register for an account. PAL provides accelerated processing and delivery of EOIR’s response to FOIA and PA requests, however, EOIR will still accept requests via postal mail. The mailing address for the EOIR FOIA Service Center is available at https://foia.eoir.justice.gov/app/Home.aspx. For a copy of a Record of Proceedings (ROP), the person who is the subject of the ROP or someone with a specific legal relationship with that person may submit a request directly to the immigration court or the Board of Immigration Appeals. For more information, see the ROP Request Instructions."