Floating barrier (United States Customs and Border Protection)
| Tracking # |
CBP-FO-2023-115941 |
| Multi Request | Floating barrier |
| Submitted | July 28, 2023 |
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Communications
From: Demetrius Johnson
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:
Emails mentioning "floating barrier" on the Rio Grande, along the Texas/Mexico border, near Eagle Pass, between January 1st, 2023, and present.
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
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,
Sherrie Hart
From: United States Customs and Border Protection
Sherrie HartN/AMuckRock News, DEPT MR149970263 Huntington AveBoston, Massachusetts 02115 10/13/2023CBP-FO-2023-115941Dear Sherrie Hart: This notice acknowledges receipt of your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) received on 7/31/2023. Please use the following unique FOIA tracking number CBP-FO-2023-115941 to track the status of your request. This acknowledgment letter also notifying you that the cases listed below have been combined into this case (CBP-FO-2023-115941) as one large search. lastly, the cases listed below have been closed out:1. CBP-FO-2023-115937
2. CBP-FO-2023-115938
3. CBP-FO-2023-115938
4. CBP-FO-2023-115940
CBP FOIA attempted to call you on 10/12/2023 to discuss your cases, however, the number did not work and kept getting a busy signal. You did not provide custodians for your email searches and to continue processing your request this information is needed. However, CBP FOIA used the top three leadership names in the Rio Grande sector as your custodians so we can continue your search.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, https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/11/22/2016-28095/freedom-of-information-act-regulations. 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. Consistent with 6 C.F.R. Part 5 § 5.5(a) of the DHS FOIA regulations, CBP processes FOIA requests according to their order of receipt. Although CBP’s goal is to respond within 20 business days of receipt of your request, FOIA does permit a 10-day extension of this time period in certain circumstances pursuant to 6 C.F.R. Part 5 § 5.5(c). Please note that due to the increasing number of FOIA requests received by this office, and a current backlog, it may take 6-9 months to receive a response to your FOIA request. We are diligently working to process each request as quickly as possible, in the order they were received. We appreciate your patience during this time. For additional information please consult CBP FOIA website please click on FOIA Act Resources or visit http://www.cbp.gov/site-policy-notices/foia.Please note that this message has been sent from an unmonitored e-mail account. Any messages sent to this account will not be read.Sincerely, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
This message (including any attachments) contains confidential information intended for a specific individual and purpose, and is protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient, you should delete this message and any disclosure, copying, or distribution
of this message, or the taking of any action based on it, by you is strictly prohibited.
Deloitte refers to a Deloitte member firm, one of its related entities, or Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited ("DTTL"). Each Deloitte member firm is a separate legal entity and a member of DTTL. DTTL does not provide services to clients. Please see www.deloitte.com/about
to learn more.
v.E.1
From: United States Customs and Border Protection
Sherrie HartN/AMuckRock News, DEPT MR149970263 Huntington AveBoston, Massachusetts 0211511/01/2023CBP-FO-2023-115941Dear Sherrie Hart,We're just dropping a short note to let you know that the custodians most likely to hold your records have been identified and your request has been tasked for search. Once the volume of documents has been determined, we will reach out to better target your request so we may process it in the most efficient and expeditious manner possible.
Although CBP is working hard to reduce our backlog, email requests of this type are typically taking 12 to 24 months to process. Thank you for your patience while we continue to work on reducing our backlog.Finally, the CBP FOIA office has a significant backlog of FOIA requests. If you do not receive a response to your FOIA request within 20 business days, please do not resubmit the same FOIA request as it creates further delays. We are working very hard to clear the FOIA backlog and thank you in advance for your cooperation.Please note that this message has been sent from an unmonitored e-mail account. Any messages sent to this account will not be read. CBP FOIA Division
This message (including any attachments) contains confidential information intended for a specific individual and purpose, and is protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient, you should delete this message and any disclosure, copying, or distribution
of this message, or the taking of any action based on it, by you is strictly prohibited.
Deloitte refers to a Deloitte member firm, one of its related entities, or Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited ("DTTL"). Each Deloitte member firm is a separate legal entity and a member of DTTL. DTTL does not provide services to clients. Please see www.deloitte.com/about
to learn more.
v.E.1
From: United States Customs and Border Protection
Sherrie Hart
N/A
MuckRock News, DEPT MR149970
263 Huntington Ave
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
12/01/2023
CBP-FO-2023-115941
Dear Sherrie Hart,
This is just a short note to inform you of the status of your request. Please see the bullet checked below for information regarding your request to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP):
[ ] We are still conducting searches for records which may be responsive to your request.
[ ] The custodians most likely to hold your records have been identified and your request has been tasked for search. Once the volume of documents has been determined, we will reach out to better target your request so we may process it in the most efficient and expeditious manner possible.
[X] Records responsive to your request have been identified and we are currently conducting our review. You will be notified when your records are ready for release.
[ ] We would like to update you that your request has moved to the next stage in processing and records are currently being reviewed by our component offices. We anticipate that the records will be ready for release shortly. You will be notified via email when your records are available for viewing.
Although CBP is working hard to reduce our backlog, if your request included a search for emails, please be advised that requests of this type are typically taking 12 to 24 months to process. Thank you for your patience while we continue to work on reducing our backlog.
If you wish to discuss your request in more detail, or at any time you wish to withdraw your request, please call our Public Liaison at 202-325-0150 and reference your request number.
Please note that this message has been sent from an unmonitored e-mail account. Any messages sent to this account will not be read.
Sincerely,
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on July 31, 2023. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #CBP-FO-2023-115941.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: United States Customs and Border Protection
Sherrie Hart
N/A
MuckRock News, DEPT MR149970
263 Huntington Ave
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
03/12/2024
CBP-FO-2023-115941
Dear Sherrie Hart,
This is just a short note to inform you of the status of your request. Please see the bullet checked below for information regarding your request to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP):
[ ] We are still conducting searches for records which may be responsive to your request.
[ ] The custodians most likely to hold your records have been identified and your request has been tasked for search. Once the volume of documents has been determined, we will reach out to better target your request so we may process it in the most efficient and expeditious manner possible.
[ ] Records responsive to your request have been identified and we are currently conducting our review. You will be notified when your records are ready for release.
[ X] We would like to update you that your request has moved to the next stage in processing and records are currently being reviewed by our component offices. We anticipate that the records will be ready for release shortly. You will be notified via email when your records are available for viewing.
Although CBP is working hard to reduce our backlog, if your request included a search for emails, please be advised that requests of this type are typically taking 12 to 24 months to process. Thank you for your patience while we continue to work on reducing our backlog.
If you wish to discuss your request in more detail, or at any time you wish to withdraw your request, please call our Public Liaison at 202-325-0150 and reference your request number.
Please note that this message has been sent from an unmonitored e-mail account. Any messages sent to this account will not be read.
Sincerely,
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
From: United States Customs and Border Protection
Sherrie Hart
N/A
MuckRock News, DEPT MR149970
263 Huntington Ave
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
03/13/2024
CBP-FO-2023-115941
Dear Sherrie Hart,
This is just a short note to inform you of the status of your request. Please see the bullet checked below for information regarding your request to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP):
[ ] We are still conducting searches for records which may be responsive to your request.
[ ] The custodians most likely to hold your records have been identified and your request has been tasked for search. Once the volume of documents has been determined, we will reach out to better target your request so we may process it in the most efficient and expeditious manner possible.
[ ] Records responsive to your request have been identified and we are currently conducting our review. You will be notified when your records are ready for release.
[ x] We would like to update you that your request has moved to the next stage in processing and records are currently being reviewed by our component offices. We anticipate that the records will be ready for release shortly. You will be notified via email when your records are available for viewing.
Although CBP is working hard to reduce our backlog, if your request included a search for emails, please be advised that requests of this type are typically taking 12 to 24 months to process. Thank you for your patience while we continue to work on reducing our backlog.
If you wish to discuss your request in more detail, or at any time you wish to withdraw your request, please call our Public Liaison at 202-325-0150 and reference your request number.
Please note that this message has been sent from an unmonitored e-mail account. Any messages sent to this account will not be read.
Sincerely,
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
From: United States Customs and Border Protection
Sherrie Hart
N/A
MuckRock News, DEPT MR149970
263 Huntington Ave
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
03/15/2024
CBP-FO-2023-115941
Dear Sherrie Hart:
This is in response to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seeking e mails mentioning; floating barrier, razor wire, Operation Loan Star, Ted Cruz, Gregg Abbott, Buoy on the Rio Grande, along the Texas/Mexico border, near Eagle Pass, between January 1st, 2023, and present.
**Please log into your portal account for the responsive records**
CBP-FO-2023-115941 has been approved for an interim release. This is not a final response. CBP FOIA will continue to review potentially responsive records and/or conduct additional searches during this time. You will be notified in future correspondence of the disposition of each interim release and will be provided a final response prior to the closing of your case. In the event records are released, you may be provided additional instructions detailing the method used to retrieve the information via your SecureRelease account.
For your information, Congress excluded three discrete categories of law enforcement and national security records from the requirements of the FOIA. See 5 U.S.C. 552(c). This response is limited to those records that are subject to the requirements of the FOIA. This is a standard notification that is given to all our requesters and should not be taken as an indication that excluded records do, or do not, exist.
This completes an incremental review of your request. You may contact CBP's FOIA Public Liaison, Charlyse Hoskins, by sending an email via your SecureRelease account, mailing a letter to 90 K St, NE MS 1181, Washington DC, 20229 or by calling 202-325-0150. The FOIA Public Liaison is able to assist in advising on the requirements for submitting a request, assist with narrowing the scope of a request, assist in reducing delays by advising the requester on the type of records to request, suggesting agency offices that may have responsive records and receive questions or concerns about the agency’s FOIA process. Please notate file number CBP-FO-2023-115941 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 disposition. Should you wish to do so, you must file your appeal within 90 days of the date our final response is issued, 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 us understand the grounds for your appeal. You should submit your appeal via SecureRelease. 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. Additional information can be found at the following link https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2019-Dec/definitions-exemptions-foia_0.pdf.
Please note that this message has been sent from an unmonitored e-mail account. Any messages sent to this account will not be read.
Sincerely,
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
From: United States Customs and Border Protection
Sherrie Hart
N/A
MuckRock News, DEPT MR149970
263 Huntington Ave
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
04/02/2024
CBP-FO-2023-115941
DearSherrie Hart,
This is a final response to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), requesting e mails mentioning "floating barrier" on the Rio Grande, along the Texas/Mexico border, near Eagle Pass, between January 1st, 2023, and present. Please keep checking the Reading Room link below as records are being uploaded as they are being released.
CBP is granting your request under the FOIA, Title 5 U.S.C. § 552. Upon initial review of your request, we have determined that the following documents can be found on the internet at the following link: https://www.cbp.gov/document/foia-record/texas-buoy-barrier
You may contact CBP's FOIA Public Liaison, Charlyse Hoskins, by sending an email via your SecureRelease account], mailing a letter to 90 K St, NE MS 1181, Washington DC, 20229 or by calling 202-325-0150. (If you need telecommunication relay service (TRS) assistance to communicate with the CBP FOIA Office and you are in the United States, please dial 711 to obtain TRS assistance and notify the Communications Assistant that you want to contact the CBP FOIA Office at the telephone number (202) 325-0150). The FOIA Public Liaison is able to assist in advising on the requirements for submitting a request, assist with narrowing the scope of a request, assist in reducing delays by advising the requester on the type of records to request, suggesting agency offices that may have responsive records and receive questions or concerns about the agency’s FOIA process.
For your information, Congress excluded three discrete categories of law enforcement and national security records from the requirements of the FOIA. See 5 U.S.C. 552(c). This response is limited to those records that are subject to the requirements of the FOIA. This is a standard notification that is given to all our requesters and should not be taken as an indication that excluded records do, or do not, exist.
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 us understand the grounds for your appeal. You should submit your appeal via your SecureRelease account . 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. Additional information can be found at the following link https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2019-Dec/definitions-exemptions-foia_0.pdf.
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. Please note that contacting the CBP FOIA Public Liaison or OGIS does not stop the 90-day appeal clock and is not a substitute for filing an administrative appeal.
Please notate file number CBP-FO-2023-115941 on any future correspondence to CBP related to this request.
Please note that this message has been sent from an unmonitored e-mail account. Any messages sent to this account will not be read.
Sincerely,
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
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