ICE Investigation Files into Scientology Human Trafficking
It is a clone of this request.
| Tracking # |
2016-ICFO-44606 |
| Submitted | July 17, 2016 |
| Est. Completion | None |
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Communications
From: R. M. Seibert
To Whom It May Concern:
This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I hereby request the following records:
All releasable documents mentioning "Scientology" that are contained in any closed Human Trafficking investigation files and dated from 2008 or later.
I am an independent researcher investigating the vast number of R-1 visas filed by Scientology-related entities. I am filing this request strictly for raising public awareness and educational purposes. I believe this topic is in the public interest based on a December 2012 article published by a journalist reporting that for at least eight months, the US Department of Homeland Security has been investigating allegations of human trafficking in the Church of Scientology, with the investigation possibly based out of the Tampa field office under lead investigator Justin Deutsch. For more information, please see: http://bit.ly/29NE1IE
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes. Therefore, I request a fee waiver, if deemed applicable, for 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,
Ms. R. M. Seibert
From:
July 25, 2016 R M SEIBERT MUCKROCK DEPT MR 26901 411A HIGHLAND AVE SOMERVILLE, MA 02144-2516 RE: ICE FOIA Case Number 2016-ICFO-44606 Dear Ms. SEIBERT: This acknowledges receipt of your July 17, 2016, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), for all releasable documents mentioning "Scientology" that are contained in any closed Human Trafficking investigation files and dated from 2008 or later. Your request was received in this office on July 17, 2016. Due to the increasing number of FOIA requests received by this office, we may encounter some delay in processing your request. Per Section 5.5(a) of the DHS FOIA regulations, 6 C.F.R. Part 5, ICE processes FOIA requests according to their order of receipt. Although ICE’s goal is to respond within 20 business days of receipt of your request, the FOIA does permit a 10- day extension of this time period. As your request seeks numerous documents that will necessitate a thorough and wide-ranging search, ICE will invoke a 10-day extension for your request, as allowed by Title 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(B). If you care to narrow the scope of your request, please contact our office. We will make every effort to comply with your request in a timely manner. Provisions of the FOIA allow us to recover part of the cost of complying with your request. We shall charge you for records in accordance with the DHS Interim FOIA regulations as they apply to non-commercial requesters. As a non-commercial requester, you will be charged 10 cents per page for duplication; the first 100 pages are free, as are the first two hours of search time, after which you will pay the per quarter-hour rate ($4.00 for clerical personnel, $7.00 for professional personnel, $10.25 for managerial personnel) of the searcher. We will construe the submission of your request as an agreement to pay up to $25.00. You will be contacted before any further fees are accrued. We have queried the appropriate program offices within ICE for responsive records. If any responsive records are located, they will be reviewed for determination of releasability. Please be assured that one of the processors in our office will respond to your request as expeditiously as possible. We appreciate your patience as we proceed with your request.
Your request has been assigned reference number 2016-ICFO-44606. Please refer to this identifier in any future correspondence. To check the status of an ICE FOIA/PA request, please visit . Please note that to check the status of a request, you must enter the 2016-ICFO-XXXXX tracking number. You may contact this office at (866) 633-1182. Our mailing address is 500 12th Street, S.W., Stop 5009, Washington, D.C. 20536-5009. (http://www.dhs.gov/foia-status) http://www.dhs.gov/foia-status
Regards,
ICE FOIA Office
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Freedom of Information Act Office
500 12th Street, S.W., Stop 5009
Washington, D.C. 20536-5009
Telephone: 1-866-633-1182
Visit our FOIA website at
www.ice.gov/foia
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 July 17, 2016. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: ICE-FOIA
Good afternoon,
We are still waiting to hear back from the tasked agency on this request.
Sincerely,
ICE/FOIA
-
~WRD000
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 July 17, 2016. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: ICE-FOIA
Good afternoon,
We are still waiting to hear back from the tasked agency on this request.
Sincerely,
ICE/FOIA
-
~WRD000
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 July 17, 2016. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: ICE-FOIA
Good afternoon,
We are still waiting to hear back from the tasked agency on this request.
Sincerely,
ICE/FOIA
-
~WRD000
From:
Ms. SEIBERT,
ICE's final response to your FOIA request, 2016-ICFO-44606, for all releasable documents mentioning "Scientology" that are contained in any closed Human Trafficking investigation files and dated from 2008 or later is attached.
Sincerely,
ICE FOIA
-
2016-ICFO-44606