Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act
Your Rights to DHS Information under FOIA
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a federal statute. FOIA generally provides that any person has a right to request access to federal agency records. FOIA also establishes a presumption that records in the possession of agencies and departments of the Executive Branch of the U. S. government are accessible to the people, except to the extent the records are protected from disclosure by any of nine exemptions contained in the law or by one of three special law enforcement record exclusions.
File a FOIA Overview
Information on how to file a FOIA, how to file a Privacy Act request, fee structure, waivers, processing information and limits on FOIA requests.Check Status of Your FOIA Request
Check the status of your FOIA request by calling the DHS FOIA Requester Service Center that replied to your request.
FOIA Statutes & Resources
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Statutes and online Resources.FOIA Library
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requires agencies to make records available for public in paper and electronic form.
FOIA Contact Information
Contact information for filing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.FOIA Exemptions
Concise Descriptions of the FOIA Exemptions and examples of Information DHS May Withhold under each exemption.