DACA: Documents Received under Freedom of Information Act

Make the Road New York & Make the Road Connecticut v. DHS, et al.

Pushing for Information on the Trump Administration’s Decision to End DACA

Last updated APRIL 21, 2020

When the Trump administration announced on September 5, 2017, that it would end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), there were serious questions left unanswered. For example, how was the decision to end DACA made? Who was involved? What factors were considered? And how would the government implement it? The National Immigration Law Center, Make the Road New York, and Make the Road Connecticut filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in September 2017 to seek answers to these questions.

Months later, and after ten lawsuits had been filed to challenge the government’s decision to end DACA, many of these questions remained unanswered. Make the Road New York and Make the Road Connecticut filed a lawsuit to enforce their rights under the FOIA and demand the information to which they are entitled.

This webpage collects key documents from that FOIA request and lawsuit, as well as the documents that the government has produced so far. It will be updated periodically.

CONTENTS

Key Documents from FOIA Request and Lawsuit

Initial FOIA Request

• Follow-up FOIA Request

• First Amended Complaint

• Scheduling Order

Key Documents Disclosed

DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE TERMINATION OF DACA

Principals Committee Summary of Conclusions from Meeting at White House (8/24/2017)

• Email: DACA Huddle (DHS) (9/2/2017)

• Email: Rescission Memo and Outline (DHS) (9/3/2017)

• Email: Don’t dehumanize dreamers into bargaining chips newt (OIP/OAG) (9/4/2017)

• Email: **CLOSE HOLD** (OIP/OAG) (9/4/2017)

• Email: AG Letter to Secretary Duke (OIP/OAG) (9/4/2017)

• Email: Draft Memo (OIP/OAG) (9/4/2017)

DOCUMENTS RELATED TO INFORMATION-SHARING

• Email: Rescheduled Senate Judiciary Hearing: Draft Q&As (9/19/2017)

• Email: Q&A (from Gene Hamilton) (9/2/2017)

• Email: DACA Information Request Worksheet (9/14/2017)

• Email: DACA Information Request Worksheet (9/14/2017)

• USCIS Information Sharing and Privacy-Related Issues

Records from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

FIRST PRODUCTION

• DHS First Production: Cover Letter

DHS First Production: Pages 1–30

• DHS First Production: Pages 31–55

Records from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security

FIRST PRODUCTION

• USCIS First Production: Cover Letter

• USCIS First Production: Redacted Response – Set 1

• USCIS First Production: Redacted Response – Set 2

• USCIS First Production: Redacted Response – Set 3

• USCIS First Production: Redacted Response – Set 4

SECOND PRODUCTION

• USCIS Second Production: Cover Letter

USCIS Second Production

THIRD PRODUCTION

• USCIS Third Production: Cover Letter

USCIS Third Production

FOURTH PRODUCTION

• USCIS Fourth Production: Cover Letter

USCIS Fourth Production: Part 1

USCIS Fourth Production: Part 2

USCIS Fourth Production: Part 3

Records from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security

ICE Production: Cover Letter

ICE Production: Part 1

• ICE Production: Part 2

• ICE Production: Part 3

Records from the Office of the Attorney General, U.S. Dept. of Justice

Records from the Office of the Solicitor General, U.S. Dept. of Justice

• OSG Production: Cover Letter

OSG Production

Response from the Office of Legal Counsel, U.S. Dept. of Justice

• OLC Response

Records from the Civil Division, U.S. Dept. of Justice

FIRST PRODUCTION

• Civil Division First Production: Cover Letter

Civil Division First Production

SECOND LETTER FROM CIVIL DIVISION

Civil Division: Second Letter

RESPONSE TO SECOND FOIA REQUEST

Second FOIA Request Response: Cover Letter

• Second FOIA Request: First Production