In its recent decision, Hajro v. U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Servs., No. 08-1350, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 117964 (N.D. Cal. Oct. 12, 2011) (Grewal, Mag.). (http://www.justice.gov/oip/courtdecisions/injunctive-relief.html ), the Northern District Court of California set a period of 30 business days for the Federal Government to respond to FOIA requests in an effort to require the government to provide efficient service to taxpayers. The requirement remains in effect, although the government may appeal the decision. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a law that gives “any person” the right to access information from the federal government. In the immigration arena, this law permits foreign nationals to request information from their own files from the government, including copies of applications, documents, and decisions. USCIS historically has taken anywhere from months to years to reply to a FOIA request creating numerous issues (and anxiety) for individuals, employers and practitioners.
