Official website of the Department of Homeland Security
Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act
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.
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Department of Homeland Security Management Directives
DHS Management Directives are issued to establish DHS-wide policy that is effective for operations and must be observed by all employees
FOIA Library
DHS maintains FOIA libraries for itself, the Office of the Secretary (including the Military Advisor’s Office and the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs), and the following components: CISOMB, DNDO, ESEC, FEMA, MGMT, NPPD, OHA, OGC, OLA, OPA, PLCY, and TSA.
FOIA Contact Information
Contact information for filing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.
Privacy and FOIA Reports
The Privacy Office releases a variety of reports related to privacy and FOIA.
Check Status of Request
DHS Requests Response Time for Processed and Pending Requests - Average No. of Days Simple is 21.24 Days and Complex is 111.59 Days. For component specific response times, please refer to the latest FOIA annual report.
Top FOIA Requests by Topic
Copies of records that have been released and are likely to be requested again.