Case: American Immigration Council v. United States Department of Homeland Security
1:12-cv-00932 | U.S. District Court for the District of District of Columbia
Filed Date: June 7, 2012
Closed Date: 2014
Clearinghouse coding complete
Case Summary
On June 7, 2012, the American Immigration Council (AIC), a pro-immigration non-profit organization, filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The AIC sued the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). On September 9, 2011, AIC had filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA, 5 U.SC. §1552) request with CBP to disclose all materials "prepared, received, transmitted, collected, and/or maintained" regarding their "voluntary return program," in which non-citizens can voluntarily return to their native country instead of being deported by CBP. AIC alleged that CBP had failed to inform prospective participants of the consequences of participation in the program, and even compelled individuals to participate. In response to the FOIA request, CBP had disclosed two documents, totaling four pages. Citing previous FOIA disclosures and publicly released documents that show additional available documents that CBP had failed to disclose, AIC sought a declaration that CBP violated FOIA and an order that CBP and any of its departments conduct a reasonable search for records of the voluntary return program.
Beginning on August 10, 2012, CBP began to and continued to provided the AIC with additional documents to supplement the original FOIA request. On April 21, 2014, the AIC agreed not to produce any further challenges and the parties entered into negotiations regarding attorneys' fees. The parties informed the Court (Judge Tanya S. Chutkan) on September 5, 2014, that they had reached a settlement, and the Court filed an Order of Dismissal to dismiss the action with prejudice. This case is now closed.
Summary Authors
Dan Osher (5/27/2013)
Allison Hight (11/6/2015)
People
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/13042715/parties/american-immigration-council-v-united-states-department-of-homeland/
Chutkan, Tanya Sue (District of Columbia)
Friedrich, Dabney Langhorne (District of Columbia)
Jackson, Ketanji Brown (District of Columbia)
Crow, Melissa E. (District of Columbia)
Kirschner, Adam D. (District of Columbia)
Documents in the Clearinghouse
Docket
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/13042715/american-immigration-council-v-united-states-department-of-homeland/
Last updated Sept. 30, 2026, 5:06 a.m.
Docket for: AMERICAN IMMIGRATION COUNCIL v. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Case Details
State / Territory:
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: June 7, 2012
Closing Date: 2014
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
American Immigration Council is a pro-immigration non-profit organization, here seeking disclosure of DHS documents.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Federal
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol
Defendant Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
FOIA (Freedom of Information Act), 5 U.S.C. § 552
Other Dockets:
District of District of Columbia 1:12-cv-00932
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff OR Mixed
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Issues
General/Misc.:
Immigration/Border:
Case Summary of American Immigration Council v. United States Department of Homeland Security, Civil Rights Litig. Clearinghouse, https://clearinghouse.net/case/12118/ (last updated 11/6/2015).