Oregon, Nine Other States Sue Feds Over Failure to Release Info On Immigrant Detention and Deportation

Federal agencies have ignored state requests for information on DACA and enforcement activity at sensitive locations.

(Joe Riedl)
By Nigel Jaquiss

Oregon and nine other states sued federal agencies in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts today, alleging the feds have failed to produce information about immigration crackdowns in timely fashion.

On June 10, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum and her peers from nine other states, including Washington and California, filed a federal Freedom of Information Act request, asking Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for details on their activities. (Disclosure: Rosenblum is married to Richard Meeker, the co-owner of WW's parent company.)

"The information being sought includes data regarding immigration enforcement at sensitive locations – which include schools, places of worship and hospitals," Oregon DOJ spokewoman Kristina Edmunson said in a statement. "Records sought also includes information regarding the detention and deportation of DACA recipients, data about detainer requests issued by ICE or CBP, and memos related to ICE or CBP-designated sensitive locations."

But the lawsuit says the feds have not produced any of the requested information.

“Defendants have violated FOIA by failing to respond to Plaintiff States’ request within the statutorily prescribed time limit, failing to disclose the requested documents, and unlawfully withholding the requested information. Plaintiff
States now ask the Court to order Defendants to respond to the request and to disclose all responsive records improperly withheld,” says the lawsuit.
The U.S. Department of Justice could not immediately be reached for comment.

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