Case: Democracy Defenders Fund v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security
1:26-cv-01230 | U.S. District Court for the District of District of Columbia
Filed Date: April 13, 2026
Case Ongoing
Clearinghouse coding complete
Case Summary
On April 13, 2026, Democracy Defenders Fund and Colombo Hurd PL filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Department of State, and U.S. Department of Commerce in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The plaintiffs alleged that in 2025, President Trump began discussing a "golden visa" program for wealthy non-citizens to purchase U.S. residency for $5 million, which evolved into the "Gold Card Visa Program" established by Executive Order 14351 on September 19, 2025. According to the complaint, the program allows individuals paying $1 million (or corporations paying $2 million) to the Department of Commerce to be considered eligible for EB-1A and EB-2 visas. The plaintiffs filed multiple FOIA requests seeking information about this program's creation, implementation, and impact, but alleged that the defendants failed to provide any responsive documents. The lawsuit brought three claims under 5 U.S.C. § 552: violation of statutory deadlines for responding to FOIA requests, the Department of State's failure to respond to Democracy Defenders Fund's administrative appeal, and failure to grant expedited processing. The plaintiffs sought comprehensive relief including orders requiring expedited processing and full disclosure of non-exempt documents, declaratory relief, permanent injunctions directing disclosure, reasonable attorneys' fees and costs, and continued court jurisdiction until compliance.
This case is ongoing.
Summary Authors
Claire Pollard (4/14/2026)
People
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73181834/parties/democracy-defenders-fund-v-us-department-of-homeland-security/
Becker, Harold Craig (District of Columbia)
Documents in the Clearinghouse
Docket
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73181834/democracy-defenders-fund-v-us-department-of-homeland-security/
Last updated July 28, 2026, 3:50 p.m.
Case Details
State / Territory:
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Trump Administration 2.0: Challenges to the Government
Key Dates
Filing Date: April 13, 2026
Case Ongoing: Yes
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Plaintiff DDF is a nonpartisan, non-profit section 501(c)(3) organization committed to defending and strengthening democracy while ensuring that all Americans can freely exercise their fundamental civil rights by defending the rule of law, fighting corruption, and protecting elections. Plaintiff Colombo & Hurd, PL is a law firm that represents clients in complex immigration and administrative law matters, including matters involving federal agency action and access to government records.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Non-profit NON-religious organization
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Federal
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
U.S. Department of Commerce
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of State
Case Details
Causes of Action:
FOIA (Freedom of Information Act), 5 U.S.C. § 552
Other Dockets:
District of District of Columbia 1:26-cv-01230
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: None Yet / None
Relief Sought:
Relief Granted:
Source of Relief:
Issues
General/Misc.:
Immigration/Border:
Case Summary of Democracy Defenders Fund v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Civil Rights Litig. Clearinghouse, https://clearinghouse.net/case/48088/ (last updated 4/14/2026).