African Immigrant Rights Council

FROM THE DESK OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SHARIFA KALOKOLA

October 23, 2025

Fourth Circuit affirms the value of the Freedom of Information Act.

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, VA published a ruling in Louise Trauma Center v. USCIS, 147 F.4th 495 (4th Cir. 2025), a case involving the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
The Court ruled that accepting the agency’s arguments “would defeat the very purpose of FOIA. FOIA is grounded in the fundamental principle of public access to Government documents.

The statute provides a mechanism to obtain official information long shielded from public view and
attempts to create a judicially enforceable public right to secure such information from possibly unwilling official hands.” [cleaned up].
Louise Trauma Center requested records concerning the training of asylum officers. USCIS resisted, but finally released some records.
The public should have access to how asylum officers are trained. USCIS sought to shield this information, but FOIA gives requesters the right to obtain documents “from possibly unwilling official hands.”
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The African Immigrant Rights Council can help you with your FOIA request.
FOIA requests are free. No charge. For assistance, contact me at airc2560@gmail.com.