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2.0

Reported: Immigrants’ lawyers say U.S. is redacting documents proving legal status

  1. Original Date Announced

    September 14, 2026

    The New York Times reports that, according to interviews with nearly three dozen immigration attorneys, the government is increasingly rebuffing FOIA requests from immigrants seeking records needed to prove their legal status, while in other cases providing heavily redacted documents with critical information missing. The attorneys say these records can be essential for people trying to establish lawful presence, reconstruct previous immigration applications, or defend themselves in removal proceedings. These accounts align with a whistleblower complaint involving USCIS, which describes policy changes beginning in May 2025 that allegedly directed officials to withhold or designate as “out of scope” certain records, including documents in languages other than English, marriage certificates, joint bank statements, tax forms, attorney correspondence, and portions of immigration-court transcripts.

    Trump 2.0 [ID # 2400]

    2026.09.14 Reported: Immigrants’ Lawyers Say U.S. Is Redacting Documents Proving Legal Status - New York Times 2025.05.16 FOIA Processing Guide 2025.08.18 FOIA Email Untranslated Documents
  2. Effective Date

    September 14, 2026

Current Status

None

Original Trump Policy Status

Status: Reported
Trump Administration Actions: Agency Directive Change in Practice
Subject Matter: Enforcement
Agencies Affected: DOJ

Associated or Derivative Policies

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