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 21–30 of 341
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Foreign Affairs Manual Vol. 9 § 302.14: Ineligibility Based on Sanctioned Activities
Manual providing guidance to consular officials in applying a range of inadmissibility grounds, including the INA's foreign policy provision.
11/9/2018
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Foreign Affairs Manual Vol. 9 § 302.14: Ineligibility Based on Sanctioned Activities
Manual providing guidance to consular officials in applying a range of inadmissibility grounds, including the INA's foreign policy provision.
6/28/2018
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Emails between ICE officials re: Immigration Priorities Briefing Deck
Email chain discussing and circulating a slide deck on the Administration's immigration priorities.
3/7/2018
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Foreign Affairs Manual Vol. 9 § 302.6: Ineligibilities Based on Terrorism Related Grounds
Manual establishing procedures for providing visa services to foreign nationals who wish to enter the United States. These processes involve interpretation and application of immigration laws and regulations, including the INA's Terrorism-Related Inadmissibility Grounds, and also involve cooperation with other law enforcement agencies such as DHS.
11/9/2018
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Foreign Affairs Manual Vol. 9 § 302.6: Ineligibilities Based on Terrorism Related Grounds
Manual establishing procedures for providing visa services to foreign nationals who wish to enter the United States. These processes involve interpretation and application of immigration laws and regulations, including the INA's Terrorism-Related Inadmissibility Grounds, and also involve cooperation with other law enforcement agencies such as DHS.
6/28/2018
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Email with Attachment: AFGE Memo re: ICE Officer Field Training Program
Email and attached memorandum describing an agreement between ICE's Miami office and the local union to establish a pilot training program for deportation officers.
3/7/2018
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Email with Attachments: Compl. for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief, Iranian Alliances Across Borders v. Trump, No. 17-cv-02921-GJH (D. Md. Oct. 2, 2017) | Compl. for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief, Brennan Ctr. for Justice at New York Univ. Sch. of L
Email sharing copies of the complaints in Iranian Alliances v. Trump (a travel ban challenge) and Brennan Center v. Department of State (a FOIA suit seeking the report on vetting practices associated with the travel ban).
4/30/2018
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Email between ICE officials re: Two New Lawsuits Challenging the President's September 24th Proclamation
Email summarizing Iranian Alliances v. Trump (a travel ban challenge) and Brennan Center v. Department of State (a FOIA suit seeking the report on vetting practices associated with the travel ban).
3/22/2019
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USCIS Chart: USCIS TRIG Statistics
Chart summarizing exemptions granted and denied under various Terrorism-Related Inadmissibility Grounds authorities.
6/29/2018
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ICE FOIA Response Letter
Response letter to Knight's 8/7/2017 FOIA request from ICE.
9/28/2017