How Trump’s Presidency Is Impacting the FOIA
USAID can’t release FOIA documents due to “recent developments.” Meanwhile, a memo sent to DHS FOIA officers this week directs them to “maximize transparency” when processing public records requests.
Welcome back to another edition of FOIA Files. Just a month into Trump’s second presidency, the FOIA has made its way into the swirling, political chaos. The administration’s mass firings of federal employees has impacted FOIA operations at some agencies, jeopardizing the public’s ability to access records. But there’s also a sliver of good news: At least one agency sent updated FOIA guidance this week instructing personnel to “maximize transparency” when processing requests. It’s too early to say what it all means for transparency, but there’s cause for concern. If you’re not already getting FOIA Files in your inbox, sign up here.
I sound like a broken record, but it’s worth repeating now: The Freedom of Information Act is a crucial tool for keeping the public informed about what their government is up to. I have the receipts to back it up. Yet obtaining documents from government agencies via the open records law is a painstaking, tedious process. Requesters are forced to contend with backlogs and understaffed agencies, resulting in significant delays. Now there’s a new roadblock: requests that end up in limbo when an agency is essentially shut down.