U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), sent a letter to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Monday calling on the agency to respond to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request that he sent to the agency more than two months ago.
Despite receiving the request on October 12, the agency continues to ask for extensions to respond to the request for records regarding raids in Wisconsin, including the agency’s communication with local law enforcement officials and information about whether the arrested individuals held criminal records.
“I am writing to follow up on a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for records pursuant to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s actions that resulted in the arrest of 83 individuals in Wisconsin in September 2018,” wrote Pocan. “The FOIA request was initiated because the agency was unwilling to provide information and answers to simple questions about these enforcement activities. Since the initial request submitted on October 12, 2018 – two months ago – we have received two letters from the agency delaying the process without sufficient explanation.”
Eighty-three people were arrested in the raids that occurred throughout September as ICE officials spent four days in Wisconsin performing immigration raids in 14 different counties, including Dane County. Madison city leaders said that the arrests took place without proper notification.
“The inability to provide this straightforward information or comply with the FOIA request in a timely manner underscores a very troubling lack of accountability that seems to be pervasive within the agency,” Pocan wrote. “Further delays on this request will not be granted, and I urge you to move expeditiously to provide the requested information. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.”
The full letter is available here.
