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With U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) detentions occurring across the country and many communities on edge, journalists must navigate federal and state laws to report on immigration policy and related action. Obtaining public records, however, has become a significant challenge. Federal agencies are preventing local entities from disclosing information. Records on arrests and criminal charges aren’t always provided. The names of those arrested are often kept secret. Data on how many detentions have occurred can be difficult to find. The federal Freedom of Information Act often is of little help. So what can local reporters do to get the records they need?
Featured Speakers
• Ellen Goodrich | Jack Nelson-Dow Jones Foundation Legal Fellow at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.
• Renee Griffin | Staff attorney at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, where she oversees the Legal Hotline.
• Lau Guzmán | Reporter for New Hampshire Public Radio covering immigrant communities, housing, education and health.
• Jason Leopold | Senior investigative reporter at Bloomberg and federal Freedom of Information Act expert.
Statutes and Regulations
- Federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
- Freedom of Information Act Website
- 8 CFR 1003.27
- 287(g) Program
Legal Research, Guides and Assistance
- Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press – Immigration Reporting Legal Guide
- New England First Amendment Coalition’s FOI Guide
- Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press – Legal Hotline
- Bloomberg – FOIA Files Newsletter
- PACER
- FOIA Wiki
Referenced News Articles
- Immigration Agents Tackled Man Inside N.H. Courthouse, Preventing Him From Attending His Arraignment | The Boston Globe
- Court Orders Detained Tufts Student Rümeysa Öztürk Returned to Vermont | The Guardian
- ICE Detainees Held at Anchorage Jail Have Been Transferred Out of State | Anchorage Daily News
- ACLU Sues Immigration and Customs Enforcement to Obtain Records for Immigrants Being Held in Michigan Jails | ACLU
- NH Immigration Advocates Denounce Leaked Plans to Use FCI Berlin for Immigration Detention; ACLU-NH Files FOIA Request for Expansion Plans | ACLU