Attorneys general in Oregon, Washington and seven other states sued the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday because the agency hasn't turned over data about immigration arrests.
A group of 10 attorneys general filed a June 29 Freedom of Information Act request seeking details about immigration arrests near courthouses, as well as sensitive locations that include places of worship, hospitals and schools.
They also requested information regarding the treatment of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients and detainers issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
A detainer is an administrative request to a local jail to hold someone the agency believes to be in the country unlawfully.
The lawsuit states that the Department of Homeland Security hasn't responded to the filed FOIA request in the time frame defined under law. The lawsuit also states that the agency has failed to identify FOIA public liaisons and the agency's failure to produce responsive records.
“We value transparency in Oregon — and we should demand the same from the federal government,” Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said in a statement Tuesday. “Americans have the right to know how many immigrants have been arrested — and how many have been detained — and we should be able to review that critical information in an expedited manner.”
The Department of Homeland Security says it doesn't comment on pending litigation.
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