Top FOIA Requests by Topic

To quickly process your FOIA request, you need to correctly identify the proper part of the Department to send it. We have a couple ways to help you. Below lists the top requests by topic. We also list the top requests by component and the top requests overall to help you find what you are looking for.

Aliens and Asylees

Submit your request to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services FOIA Officer for:

• Documents in the Alien File 
• Applications by non-U.S. citizens seeking asylum in the U.S.

Contracts

If you are seeking a copy of a contract, you must provide either a valid solicitation or contract number. These can be found at Federal Business Opportunities or the requests with valid contract or solicitation numbers should be sent directly to the component administering the contract.

If you do not know the component administering the contract, please contact the DHS Director, Disclosure & FOIA, for proper routing information. In addition to including the contract/solicitation number, please include the common title of the contract or service being provided by the contract.

For Department-level Contracting & Acquisitions Information, please file your request with the Under Secretary for Management Directorate. Many components of the Department also have component-specific contracts. Below is a guide of contract award abbreviations by component to assist with contract origination.

• HSBP- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
• HSCE- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
• HSCG- U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)
• HSFE- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• HSFL- Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC)
• HSHQ- DHS Office of Procurement Operation (HQ)
• HSSS- U.S. Secret Service (USSS)
• HSTS- Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

Cyber

For requests about our cyber programs, including Cyber Storm, send your request to the Under Secretary for National Protection & Programs Directorate.

Disasters and Flooding

Requests for National Flood Insurance Program Records and Disaster Relief should be sent to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Grants

Requests for Domestic Preparedness Grant records should be sent to FEMA. For all other grants, submit requests to the DHS Director, Disclosure & FOIA.

Geneology

For immigration records related to your family history, please submit your request to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Immigration Enforcement

For more information on the following please contact the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) :

• Information pertaining to contracts at detainee facilities
• Statistics on people in particular detention & removal facilities
• Project “Return to sender”
• Inspection of detainee facilities
• Worksite enforcement statistics or projects
• Records on aliens or detainees
• Information pertaining to human trafficking/smuggling
• Information pertaining to gangs
• Information pertaining to child pornography investigations, “Operation Predator”
• Information pertaining to arrest reports or other records pertaining to ICE investigations
• Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) statistics
• Immigration & Customs Enforcement policies, handbooks and directives

Internal

Many internal functions are handled by the Under Secretary for Management Directorate.  These include:

• Department-level Contracting & Acquisitions Information
• Environmental Compliance
• Facilities Acquisition/Management/Inventory
• Financial Audits and Statements and Budget Figures
• Health and Safety Programs
• Motor Pool/Fleet Management
• Personnel Policies/Management
• Records Management
• Security Policies/Programs/Standards
• Technology Policy Records

Research

Direct requests to Under Secretary for Science & Technology (S&T) for:

• ADVISE program
• DHS Technology Research and Development

Travel

Requests should be submitted to the Transportation Security Administration for the following:

• No-Fly List,
• TWIC,
• DHS-TRIP,
• the number of prohibited items surrendered,
• statistics regarding lost/stolen/missing TSA uniforms/badges or
• contracts administered by TSA

Information about the program and requesting US-VISIT records is available on the US-VISIT FOIA webpage.

Records regarding Border Patrol operations, activities, and interaction, submit your request to U.S. Customs & Border Protection.