FOIA Requests and Other Background Checks: A Practical Guide to Filing Records Requests in Immigration Cases

This first edition of FOIA Requests and Other Background Checks is an effort to respond to the need for information about why, when, where, and how to file background checks in immigration cases. Whether a legal worker is assisting an individual to apply for an immigration benefit or fight removal, it is not only helpful, but also often essential to the success of the individual’s case to have a copy of records maintained by different government agencies. This manual 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. We hope this manual will serve as a reference that enables practitioners to more efficiently, and more strategically, obtain documents for their clients.