SAA Signs On to Coalition Call for Urgent Investigation of Destruction of Records on Family Separation Crisis

July 13, 2018—The SAA Executive Committee agreed to sign on to a letter, drafted by OpenTheGovernment.org, calling on Congress to immediately investigate the administration’s records management practices relating to the “zero-tolerance” immigration enforcement policy and family reunification efforts. As noted in the letter, “Only by exercising its authority can Congress begin to remedy the secrecy and confusion rampant in the immigration detention system, starting by investigating the record keeping practices and demanding maximum disclosure of information to the public in accordance with the law.” Read the full letter here.

In a separate press release, OpenTheGovernment.org noted, "To increase access to information on this issue, Open the Government and the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) are also filing a Freedom of Information Act request calling for the disclosure of all policy guidance relating to the handling of records by border agents, implementation of the zero-tolerance policy, and the administration’s family reunification plan (read the FOIA here). The request asks for expedited processing, citing the urgent need to provide information to family members, advocates, and lawyers working to ensure the separated children see their parents again."