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 71–80 of 341
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USCIS Report re: Secretary's Application of the Discretionary Authority Contained in Section 212(d)(3)(B)(i) of the INA
Congressional report providing aggregate statistics on Terrorism-Related Inadmissibility Grounds exemptions granted.
6/29/2018
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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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USCIS Paper: TRIG Exemptions & INA § 318
Briefing paper discussing specific Terrorism-Related Inadmissibility Grounds exemptions and how they could be interpreted and applied to specific types of applicants who seek immigration benefits from USCIS. It is almost entirely withheld.
5/30/2018
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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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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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DOS Cover Page: Inadmissibility Determinations for Syrian Government Official and Immediate Family Members
Cover page for memorandum discussing visa policy against Syrian officials and family members.
11/9/2018
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DOS Memo: Inadmissibility Determinations for Syrian Government Official and Immediate Family Members
Memorandum discussing visa policy against Syrian officials and family members, which is almost entirely withheld.
6/28/2018
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Email with Attachment: OGC Memo: Draft [redacted] Comprehensive Memorandum
Email chain discussing and circulating a draft legal memorandum dealing with issues raised by the impact of President Trump’s Executive Order on Fethullah Gulen's presence in the United States addresses.
4/30/2018
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Email with Attachment: OGC Memo: Draft [redacted] Comprehensive Memorandum
Email chain discussing and circulating a draft legal memorandum dealing with issues raised by the impact of President Trump’s Executive Order on Fethullah Gulen's presence in the United States addresses.
4/30/2018