ByHow To File a CBP FOIA Request in Under Five Minutes
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is in charge of protecting the United States borders. Anyone has the right to send a CBP FOIA request and see the information they are interested in. You’ll find various ways of submitting the request, but the most straightforward one is DoNotPay.
Send a Customs and Border Protection FOIA Request With DoNotPay
If you’d like to handle the process of sending a CBP FOIA request the easiest way, you need not look any further than DoNotPay. Our straightforward solution can help you deal with this task in a few minutes. Proceed as follows:
- Access DoNotPay from a
- Choose the FOIA feature
- Pick Federal as a type of agency you are dealing with
- Type in CBP
- Let us know if you need a fee waiver
DoNotPay will send the request to CBP right away. We can also tell you everything you should know about FOIA request templates.
How To Submit a CBP FOIA Request on Your Own
Make sure you visit the CBP Newsroom before sending a FOIA request because the records you are looking for could already be published there. If you wish to send a FOIA request to CBP by yourself, you can do so online. The process is quite complex and time-consuming. Here are the directions you need to follow:
- Open the FOIAonline Request form
- Enter all the required contact information
- Pick the type of request you’re making
- Enter the amount of money you are willing to spend on the fees
- Type a detailed description of desired records
- Indicate whether you want expedited processing
- Say if you need a fee waiver
- Attach files if you need to
If you are requesting information about yourself, you should add as many details as you can, such as your parents’ names and Alien number. In case you are looking for records on behalf of someone else, you must include the person’s written consent.
How Much Does It Cost To File a CBP FOIA Request?
You don’t have to pay a fee to file a FOIA request, but there are some instances when chargers may occur:
- Commercial requesters—for searching for records and photocopying them
- New media, educational, or noncommercial scientific institutions—for photocopying after the initial 100 pages
- Other entities and individuals—for searching for records after two hours and photocopying after 100 pages
How To Check the Status of Your CBP FOIA Request
You may check the status of your CBP FOIA request online by opening the FOIAonline website. To see how far the agency got with your request, you’ll need to enter keywords, phrases, tracking number, or fiscal year. If you don’t see the results you were looking for, you can try the Advanced Search option.
How Long Does a CBP FOIA Take To Be Processed?
It shouldn't take CBP more than 20 business days to process your Freedom of Information Act request. The exact time will depend on the complexity of your request and the number of requests sent to the agency before yours.
If you follow all the rules and send the FOIA form on time and with proper documentation, you should get the info you’re looking for fast.
Who Can Submit a CBP FOIA Request?
Anyone can send a CBP FOIA request if it doesn’t include one of the nine exemptions. Here are some examples of entities who have the right to do so:
- Corporations
- Universities
- Associations
- Private individuals
- Public interest groups
- Local and foreign governments
You don’t even need to be a U.S. citizen to send a FOIA request. The entire idea behind the FOIA is to show democracy and allow everyone equal access to government documents. If disclosure of such information endangers the safety of the state, the agencies won’t share those records.
Can You Submit a CBP FOIA Appeal?
You may file an appeal if CBP denies your request to access certain records. You may do so using the FOIAonline Request Form. There is a time limit to send your appeal to CBP, and it is 90 days from your last response letter.
Send an appeal to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, FOIA Appeals, Policy and Litigation Branch, 90 K Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20229/ You can also check the status of your appeal on the Search FOIA Requests website.
Submit FOIA Requests to Any Agency With DoNotPay
DoNotPay’s FOIA feature works with any agency. The table below contains some of the areas agencies we can help you with:
| Immigration | Economy | Protection |
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We can also tell you how to access police reports and military records.
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