Ideological Screening at the Border
Documents released in our FOIA lawsuit for records on the "extreme vetting" program
This Reading Room contains all of the documents produced to date in Knight Institute v. DHS, a FOIA lawsuit the Knight Institute filed on October 4, 2017, seeking records on how the Trump administration is implementing the president’s call for an “extreme vetting program."
Our FOIA lawsuit sought records from the agencies charged with developing the program: the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Department of State (DOS). We requested documents concerning the program and the government’s asserted power to exclude individuals on the basis of their speech, beliefs, or associations.
In response, the agencies released over 300 documents, many heavily redacted, and hardly any referencing the extreme vetting program itself.
How to use this Reading Room: The collection below can be searched by keyword, or filtered using the criteria in the left-hand column. In addition, any search can be filtered for “Key Documents,” which are the documents that Knight Institute staff have flagged as the most significant disclosed.
Showing 151–160 of 341
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DOS Memo: Implementation Guidelines for Visa Restrictions on Syrian Arab Republic Government Officials
Memorandum discussing the implementation of visa restrictions against Syrian officials, which is almost entirely withheld.
6/28/2018
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DOS Memo: Further Strengthening Visa Restrictions Against Syria and Denying Visas to [redacted]
Memorandum proposing tightening visa restrictions on Syrian regime officials, noting the need to rely on the INA's foreign policy provision in denying visas to immediate family members on the basis of association alone.
2/26/2019
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DOS Memo: Further Strengthening Visa Restrictions Against Syria and Denying Visas to [redacted]
Memorandum proposing tightening visa restrictions on Syrian regime officials, noting the need to rely on the INA's foreign policy provision in denying visas to immediate family members on the basis of association alone.
11/9/2018
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DOS Memo: Further Strengthening Visa Restrictions Against Syria and Denying Visas to [redacted]
Memorandum proposing tightening visa restrictions on Syrian regime officials, noting the need to rely on the INA's foreign policy provision in denying visas to immediate family members on the basis of association alone.
6/28/2018
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DOS Memo: Further Strengthening Visa Restrictions Against Syria and Denying Visas to [redacted]
Memorandum proposing tightening visa restrictions on Syrian regime officials, noting the need to rely on the INA's foreign policy provision in denying visas to immediate family members on the basis of association alone.
6/28/2018
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Emails between ICE officials re: Indians at Ports of Entry
Email chain discussing an increase in Indian nationals arriving at ports of entry in Arizona and claiming a credible fear of persecution if returned.
3/7/2018
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DOS Cover Page: [redacted]
Cover page to memorandum discussing an unknown subject.
11/9/2018
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Email with Attachment: CBP Memo: Permitting Withdrawal of Application for Admission
Email chain and attached memorandum discussing CBP standards for handling cases in which an applicant for asylum recants their claim of a credible fear of persecution.
3/28/2018
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DOS Memo: [redacted]
Memorandum discussing visa restrictions against Syrian officials, which is almost entirely withheld.
11/9/2018
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DOS Memo: [redacted]
Memorandum discussing visa restrictions against Syrian officials, which is almost entirely withheld.
6/28/2018