Homeland Security found in violation of open-records law
SEATTLE (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that the Department of Homeland Security has violated the Freedom of Information Act by failing to respond to a request for information about the telephone costs for immigrant detainees.
The Seattle Times reports that U.S. District Chief Judge Marsha Pechman criticized the department and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement for ignoring a request from Prison Legal News, a publication for prisoners, for information about how the agency determines telephone-call rates for detainees.
Pechman says Homeland Security failed to respond to the first POIA request even though the law says an agency must provide a response within 20 days. A second request also went unacknowledged.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Seattle, which represented the agencies, said it is reviewing Pechman's order and had no comment.