Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has filed a lawsuit against the Biden Administration’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for allegedly failing to fulfill a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The request sought documents and communications related to the transportation of illegal immigrants into Missouri.
“Once again, the Biden Administration is trying to stonewall and circumvent every aspect of the law in order to hide information from Americans,” said Attorney General Bailey. “Their most recent refusal to provide the truth about the flying of illegal immigrants into Missouri is just the tip of the iceberg. It reflects a larger pattern of deploying delay and diversion tactics to avoid producing documents legally requested under FOIA. Here in Missouri, we hold bad actors accountable when they refuse to obey the law, even the federal government. I will not stop until I obtain answers for Missourians.”
The lawsuit claims that "The Missouri Attorney General’s Office has reason to believe the Biden Administration is deliberately flying illegal aliens from the border to the interior of the country and has sought to gain public records on behalf of Missouri citizens but has been met with federal interference. Instead of promptly providing the AGO with the requested documents, DHS has belatedly responded with a denial based on a clearly erroneous reading of AGO’s FOIA request. This game of ‘hide and seek’ violates both spirit and letter of FOIA."
Attorney General Bailey has been seeking public records regarding illegal immigrants being flown into Missouri for months. The initial FOIA request was launched over two years ago on June 15, 2022, but DHS refused to comply. After learning new evidence that illegal immigrants were being flown directly into Kansas City and St. Louis, Bailey amended his FOIA request for more specificity; however, DHS again refused compliance.
“The transportation of illegal immigrants into Missouri is a matter of public concern,” states another part of the lawsuit, “and citizens have a right to know facts behind these activities.” The suit contends that DHS withholding crucial information restricts citizens' ability to exercise their rights as outlined by Congress in FOIA statutes.
General Bailey seeks a court declaration that confirms DHS's failure in its legal obligation concerning his FOIA request and an order compelling DHS to release requested documents.