CBP Border Screening Protocols
Tracking # |
CBP-OFO-2017-042475, CBP-2017-042475 |
Submitted | Feb. 21, 2017 |
Est. Completion | None |
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Communications
From: Taylor Dobbs
To Whom It May Concern:
This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I hereby request the following records:
Any and all documents or correspondence received and or distributed since January 1, 2017 by Customs and Border Protections officials and/or employees working for the CBP Swanton Sector Vermont containing:
- Training materials or information.
- Screening protocols, "scripts," directives, advice, or priorities.
- Instructions on screening people or property for entry to the United States.
- Guidance, directives, training materials or advice related to the religious beliefs, activities, or identities of people presenting for entry to the United States.
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes. As a professional journalist making this request as part of newsgathering efforts, I request that you waive any fees related to this request.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Taylor Dobbs
From: CBPFOIA@cbp.dhs.gov
This message is to confirm your request submission to the FOIAonline application: View Request. Request information is as follows: (https://foiaonline.regulations.gov:443/foia/action/public/view/request?objectId=090004d2811a01d1)
* Tracking Number: CBP-2017-034639
* Requester Name: Taylor Dobbs
* Date Submitted: 02/28/2017
* Request Status: Submitted
* Description: Any and all documents or correspondence received/ distributed since 01/01/2017 by CBP officials working for the Swanton Sector Vermont. See attachment
From: CBPFOIA@cbp.dhs.gov
Taylor Dobbs
DEPT MR 33800
411A Highland Ave
Somerville MA 02144
Dear Taylor Dobbs:
This automated notice acknowledges receipt of your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) received in the mail from you on 02/28/2017. Please use the following unique FOIA tracking number CBP-OFO-2017-034639 to track the status of your request.
In the future, please submit your FOIA requests to CBP electronically. It’s very easy to do, and there are many reasons why filing online is the most expeditious way to submit a FOIA request.
How to submit a FOIA request electronically to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)?
To submit a FOIAonline request online simply go to your search engine (i.e., google, etc.) and type FOIAonline, then hit enter. That will take you to the FOIAonline site. From there, press the green button on the right “ Create an Account” and follow the prompts to create a FOIAonline account, then press the green button in the middle " Make a FOIA Request" and follow the prompts to submit a FOIA request.
Submitting a FOIA request online is the preferred method (vs. postal mail) for many reasons:
* You will immediately receive a unique FOIA tracking number and acknowledgment that your FOIA request was received by CBP.
* You will be able to track your FOIA request any day/any time through your FOIAonline account.
* You will receive an email to retrieve responsive records or document via your FOIAonline account, when records or documents become available.
* You can view all of your historical FOIA requests via the " dashboard" in your FOIAonline account.
FOIAs requests for travel records require: 1) subject’s name, 2) subject’s date of birth, and 3) third party consent (if applicable).
From: CBPFOIA@cbp.dhs.gov
The FOIA request CBP-2017-034639 has had its Tracking Number changed to CBP-OFO-2017-034639. This is normally due to the request being transferred to another agency (for example, EPA to Dept. of Commerce) or to a sub-agency to process it. Additional details for this request are as follows:
* Old Tracking Number: CBP-2017-034639
* New Tracking Number: CBP-OFO-2017-034639
* Requester Name: Taylor Dobbs
* Date Submitted: 02/28/2017
* Long Description: Any and all documents or correspondence received/ distributed since 01/01/2017 by CBP officials working for the Swanton Sector Vermont. See attachment
From: CBPFOIA@cbp.dhs.gov
This message is to confirm your request submission to the FOIAonline application: View Request. Request information is as follows: (https://foiaonline.regulations.gov:443/foia/action/public/view/request?objectId=090004d28121b117)
* Tracking Number: CBP-OFO-2017-042475
* Requester Name: Taylor Dobbs
* Date Submitted: 02/21/2017
* Request Status: Submitted
* Description: Mr. Dobbs is requesting: Any and all documents or correspondence received and or distributed since January 1, 2017 by Customs and Border Protection officials and/or employees working for the CBP Swanton Sector Vermont containing: -Training materials or information. -Screening protocols, "scripts," directives, advice, or priorities. -Instructions on screening people or property for entry to the United States. -Guidance, directives, training materials or advice related to the religious beliefs, activities, or identities of people presenting for entry to the United States. Please see complete request scanned into correspondence. PLEASE NOTE THAT NO TELEPHONE OR FAX NUMBERS WERE PROVIDED IN THE REQUEST.
From: Taylor Dobbs
Hello,
I apologies for not including this information sooner. If you need to contact me, you can reach me by phone at 802-654-4364, by email at tdobbs@vpr.net, or by fax at 802-655-2799.
Taylor Dobbs
From: FISHER, MARY ANN
As attached.
Mary Ann Fisher
Fines, Penalties and Forfeitures Officer
FOIA Officer/Boston Field Office
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
50 South Main Street, Suite 100R
St. Albans, VT 05478
Tel: 802 527-3338
Fax: 802 527-1338
From: CBPFOIA@cbp.dhs.gov
Your request for Fee Waiver for the FOIA request CBP-OFO-2017-042475 has been determined to be not applicable as the request is not billable. Additional details for this request are as follows:
* Request Created on: 02/21/2017
* Fee Waiver Disposition Reason: N/A
* Request Long Description: Mr. Dobbs is requesting: Any and all documents or correspondence received and or distributed since January 1, 2017 by Customs and Border Protection officials and/or employees working for the CBP Swanton Sector Vermont containing: -Training materials or information. -Screening protocols, "scripts," directives, advice, or priorities. -Instructions on screening people or property for entry to the United States. -Guidance, directives, training materials or advice related to the religious beliefs, activities, or identities of people presenting for entry to the United States. Please see complete request scanned into correspondence. PLEASE NOTE THAT NO TELEPHONE OR FAX NUMBERS WERE PROVIDED IN THE REQUEST.
From: MuckRock.com
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on Feb. 21, 2017. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #CBP-OFO-2017-042475.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: CBPFOIA@cbp.dhs.gov
Taylor Dobbs
DEPT MR 33800 411A Highland Ave. Somerville MA 02144-2516
Dear Taylor Dobbs:
This automated notice acknowledges receipt of your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) received on 05/01/2017. Please use the following unique FOIA tracking number CBP-2017-055244 to track the status of your request. If you have not already done so, you must create a FOIAonline account at https://foiaonline.regulations.gov. This is the only method available to check the status of your pending FOIA request. (https://foiaonline.regulations.gov/)
Provisions of the Act allow us to recover part of the cost of complying with your request. We shall charge you for records in accordance with the DHS FOIA regulations outlined on the DHS website, http://www.dhs.gov/xfoia/editorial_0579.shtm. By submitting your request, you have agreed to pay up to $25.00 in applicable processing fees, if any fees associated with your request exceed this amount, CBP shall contact you; however, the first 100 pages are free. (http://www.dhs.gov/xfoia/editorial_0579.shtm)
CBP’s FOIA Division is working hard to reduce the amount of time necessary to respond to FOIA requests. Currently, the average time to process a FOIA request related to "travel/border incidents" is a minimum of 3-6 months. We truly appreciate your continued patience.
For additional information please consult CBP FOIA website please click on FOIA Act Resources or visit (http://www.cbp.gov/site-policy-notices/foia) http://www.cbp.gov/site-policy-notices/foia. (http://www.cbp.gov/site-policy-notices/foia)
From: CBPFOIA@cbp.dhs.gov
This message is to confirm your request submission to the FOIAonline application: View Request. Request information is as follows: (https://foiaonline.regulations.gov:443/foia/action/public/view/request?objectId=090004d2812e9399)
* Tracking Number: CBP-2017-055244
* Requester Name: Taylor Dobbs
* Date Submitted: 05/01/2017
* Request Status: Submitted
* Description: All communications or records of communications since January 1, 2016 between CBP personnel and law enforcement officials in Vermont. *See attachment for more details.
From: MuckRock.com
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on Feb. 21, 2017. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #CBP-OFO-2017-042475.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: MuckRock.com
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on Feb. 21, 2017. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #CBP-OFO-2017-042475.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: MuckRock.com
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on Feb. 21, 2017. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #CBP-OFO-2017-042475.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: CBPFOIA@cbp.dhs.gov
The FOIA request CBP-OFO-2017-042475 has had its Tracking Number changed to CBP-2017-042475. This is normally due to the request being transferred to another agency (for example, EPA to Dept. of Commerce) or to a sub-agency to process it. Additional details for this request are as follows:
* Old Tracking Number: CBP-OFO-2017-042475
* New Tracking Number: CBP-2017-042475
* Requester Name: Taylor Dobbs
* Date Submitted: 02/21/2017
* Long Description: Mr. Dobbs is requesting: Any and all documents or correspondence received and or distributed since January 1, 2017 by Customs and Border Protection officials and/or employees working for the CBP Swanton Sector Vermont containing: -Training materials or information. -Screening protocols, "scripts," directives, advice, or priorities. -Instructions on screening people or property for entry to the United States. -Guidance, directives, training materials or advice related to the religious beliefs, activities, or identities of people presenting for entry to the United States. Please see complete request scanned into correspondence. PLEASE NOTE THAT NO TELEPHONE OR FAX NUMBERS WERE PROVIDED IN THE REQUEST.
From: CBPFOIA@cbp.dhs.gov
After careful review of your FOIA request, CBP-2017-055244, we have determined that your request is too broad in scope or did not specifically identify the records which you are seeking. FOIA is not a search mechanism. Records must be described in reasonably sufficient detail to enable government employees who are familiar with the subject area to locate records without placing an unreasonable burden upon the agency. For this reason, §5.3(b) of the DHS regulations, 6 C.F.R. Part 5, require that you describe the records you are seeking with as much information as possible to ensure that our search can locate them with a reasonable amount of effort. Whenever possible, a request should include specific information about each record sought, such as the event that would have created the record, a date range for the request, and subject matter of the records. The FOIA does not require an agency to create new records, answer questions posed by requesters, or attempt to interpret a request that does not identify specific records. You requested any and all communications from January 1, 2016 to the present between CBP and law enforcement officials in Vermont. Please note, the term law enforcement officials is too broad for a reasonable search to be conducted. Please specificy what is meant by law enforcement officials, , list the names of the officials, a particular city, the name of the local police station, etc. for example
Please resubmit your FOIA request, along with a more detailed description of the records being sought, by logging into your existing FOIAOnline account or creating an account at https://foiaonline.regulations.gov. (https://foiaonline.regulations.gov/)
You may contact a FOIA Public Liaison by sending an email via your FOIAonline account or call 202-325-0150. Please notate file number CBP-2017-055244 on any future correspondence to CBP related to this request. Additionally, you have a right to right to seek dispute resolution services from the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) which mediates disputes between FOIA requesters and Federal agencies as a non-exclusive alternative to litigation. If you are requesting access to your own records (which is considered a Privacy Act request), you should know that OGIS does not have the authority to handle requests made under the Privacy Act of 1974. You may contact OGIS as follows: Office of Government Information Services, National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road-OGIS, College Park, Maryland 20740-6001, e-mail at ogis@nara.gov; telephone at 202-741-5770; toll free at 1-877-684-6448; or facsimile at 202-741-5769.
From: United States Customs and Border Protection
Your CBP FOIA request is complete. Please use the following password to open your documents: muck042475
Your documents will be sent in a separate email.
We noticed that you do not have a FOIAonline account. When submitting future requests, please create one by taking the following steps:
* Simply go to your search engine (i.e., google, etc.) and type FOIAonline, then hit enter, that will take you to the FOIAonline site.
* From there, press the green button on the right “Create an Account” and follow the prompts to create a FOIAonline account.
* Make sure when creating your account you use the same email address that you provided when submitting your original FOIA request – that way the email addresses in your original FOIA request can be synched with the FOIAonline account you create.
Submitting a FOIA request online is the preferred method (vs. postal mail) for many reasons:
* You immediately receive a unique FOIA tracking number and acknowledgment that your FOIA request was received by CBP.
* You can track your FOIA request any day/any time through your FOIAonline account.
* When responsive records become available, you receive an email letting you know records can be viewed via your FOIAonline account,
* You can view all of your historical FOIA requests via the “dashboard” in your FOIAonline account.
In the future, please use your FOIAonline account to submit future FOIA requests to CBP. Please note that all FOIA requests for official travel records on an individual must include 1) the subject’s name, 2) the subject’s date of birth, and 3) third party consent. If this information is not provided with the original FOIA request, it will be considered “insufficient”, and will not be processed.
From: United States Customs and Border Protection
A search of CBP databases produced records responsive to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request CBP-2017-042475, requesting records maintained by CBP.
CBP has determined that the responsive records are partially releasable, pursuant to Title 5 U.S.C. § 552 and have applied the appropriate exemptions notated below:
Section 552 (FOIA)
___ (b)(1) ___ (b)(2) ___ (b)(3) ___ (b)(4) ___ (b)(5) _x__ (b)(6)
___ (b)(7)(A) ___ (b)(7)(B) __x_ (b)(7)(C) ___ (b)(7)(D) __x_ (b)(7)(E) ___ (b)(7)(F)
___ (b)(3) Statute 49 U.S.C. § 114(s)
A description of the exemptions applied can be found by clicking the hyperlink. (https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2016-Dec/Definitions%20of%20the%20Exemptions%20Under%20the%20Freedom%20of%20Information%20Act.pdf) If you have a FOIAonline account, you MUST log into your account to retrieve your responsive records. After logging in, click on "View My FOIA Requests". Requests that have new, unread correspondence have a mail icon next to the tracking number.
The following checked item(s) also apply to your request:
___ Approximately _____ pages were withheld in their entirety.
_X__ Fees: In the processing of this FOIA request, no fees are being assessed.
___ Other:
This completes the CBP response to your request. You may contact a FOIA Public Liaison by sending an email via your FOIAonline account, or call 202-325-0150. Please notate file number CBP-2017-042475 on any future correspondence to CBP related to this request.
If you are not satisfied with the response to this request, you have a right to appeal the final disposition. Should you wish to do so, you must file your appeal within 90 days of the date of this letter following the procedures outlined in the DHS regulations at Title 6 C.F.R. §5.8. Please include as much information as possible to help their office understand the grounds for your appeal. You should submit your appeal via FOIAonline by clicking on the “Create Appeal” button that appears when you view your initial request. If you do not have computer access, you may send your appeal and a copy of this letter to: FOIA Appeals, Policy and Litigation Branch, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 90 K Street, NE, 10th Floor, Washington, DC 20229-1177. Your envelope and letter should be marked "FOIA Appeal." Copies of the FOIA and DHS regulations are available at www.dhs.gov/foia. (http://www.dhs.gov/foia)
Additionally, you have a right to seek dispute resolution services from the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) which mediates disputes between FOIA requesters and Federal agencies as a non-exclusive alternative to litigation. If you are requesting access to your own records (which is considered a Privacy Act request), you should know that OGIS does not have the authority to handle requests made under the Privacy Act of 1974. You may contact OGIS as follows: Office of Government Information Services, National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road-OGIS, College Park, Maryland 20740-6001, e-mail at ogis@nara.gov; telephone at 202-741-5770; toll free at 1-877-684-6448; or facsimile at 202-741-5769.
Given the nature of this request, some records are only being released to you as the requester. If you have an account in FOIAonline, you may access those records by logging into FOIAonline. Otherwise, those responsive records will be sent via the method agreed upon with the FOIA processor. (https://foiaonline.regulations.gov:443/foia/action/public/home?objectId=090004d28121b117)
From: United States Customs and Border Protection
Good afternoon,
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regrets the delay in responding to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Unfortunately, CBP is experiencing a backlog of FOIA requests that has impacted our ability to process your request. Given the passage of time, this communication is to confirm whether you are still interested in having the attached FOIA request processed.
Please confirm your continued interest, by reply to this email, within 30 business days from the date of this communication, and reference the FOIA number cited above. If we do not receive a response from you within the specified time frame, we will consider the non-response as an indication that you are no longer interested, and will administratively close your FOIA request.
Thank you for your patience and interest in CBP. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Kind regards,
Jennifer R Davis
Government Information Specialist, Team Lead/SME
FOIA Division
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Email: jennifer.r.davis@dhs.gov<mailto:jennifer.r.davis@dhs.gov>
Ph: Available upon request
From:
The FOIA request CBP-OFO-2017-034639 has had its Tracking Number changed to CBP-2017-034639. This is normally due to the request being transferred to another agency (for example, EPA to Dept. of Commerce) or to a sub-agency to process it. Additional details for this request are as follows:
* Old Tracking Number: CBP-OFO-2017-034639
* New Tracking Number: CBP-2017-034639
* Requester Name: Taylor Dobbs
* Date Submitted: 07/07/2018
* Long Description: Any and all documents or correspondence received/ distributed since 01/01/2017 by CBP officials working for the Swanton Sector Vermont. See attachment
From:
CBP-2017-034639 has been processed with the following final disposition: Duplicate Request
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