FOIA Request: Administrative Subpoenas
| Submitted | Jan. 16, 2025 |
MuckRock users can file, duplicate, track, and share public records requests like this one. Learn more.
Communications
From: e
To Whom It May Concern:
According to research conducted by Wired, the Illinois Secretary of State received multiple administrative subpoenas from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security between 2016 and 2022.
source: https://www.wired.com/story/ice-1509-custom-summons/
Pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act., I hereby request the following records:
- A copy of every administrative subpoena received by the agency from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and/or the Department of Homeland Security between 1/1/2016 and 12/31/2022.
- A copy of all email or mailed communications sent to or received from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and/or the Department of Homeland Security that pertain to the administrative subpoenas received between 1/1/2016 and 12/31/2022.
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 5 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
e
From: Secretary of State of Illinois
Dear FOIA Requester –
Please allow this email to acknowledge your January 16, 2025, request (“Request”) pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”), 5 ILCS 140/1 et seq., received on January 16 2025, seeking the following records from the Office of Illinois Secretary of State (“Office”):
1. A copy of every administrative subpoena received by [the Office] from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and/or the Department of Homeland Security between 1/1/2016 and 12/31/2022.
2. A copy of all email or mailed communications sent to or received from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and/or the Department of Homeland Security that pertains to administrative subpoenas received between 1/1/2016 and 12/31/2022.
The Office has conducted a reasonably diligent search of its physical and electronic databases and has identified certain responsive records to your Request within its possession and custody. Under FOIA, the Office may extend the time to respond to a Request by up to five (5) business days for a limited number of reasons. 5 ILCS 140/3(e). The Office is extending the time to respond to your request by five (5) business days for the following reasons: the requested records require examination and evaluation by personnel having the necessary competence and discretion to determine if they are exempt from disclosure under 5 ILCS 140/7 or should be revealed only with appropriate deletions. 5 ILCS 140/3(e)(v).
The Office received your Request on January 16, 2025. 5 ILCS 140/3(d). The Office was closed on January 20, 2025, bringing the original due date to January 24, 2025. 5 ILCS 140/3(d). With the extension, the Office will respond to your request on January 31, 2025.
Respectfully,
[A close-up of a coin Description automatically generated with medium confidence]
FOIA OFFICER
Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias
115 S. LaSalle St., Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60603
Office: 312.814.1630
Email: FOIARequest@ilsos.gov<mailto:FOIARequest@ilsos.gov>
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
[Image]<https://twitter.com/ILSecOfState> [Image] <https://www.facebook.com/ILSecofState> [Image] <https://www.instagram.com/ilsecofstate/> [Image] <https://www.youtube.com/@ILSecofState> [Image] <https://www.linkedin.com/company/ilsecofstate/> ILSOS.gov<https://www.ilsos.gov/>
Keep Informed! Learn more about the products and services the Secretary of State’s Office provides throughout Illinois by signing up for our newsletter by clicking here<https://apps.ilsos.gov/ContactFormsWeb/newslettersubscribe.jsp>.
From: Secretary of State of Illinois
Dear FOIA Requester –
Please allow this email to acknowledge your January 16, 2025, request (“Request”) pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”), 5 ILCS 140/1 et seq., received on January 16, 2025. On January 23, 2025, the Office properly extended the time to respond to your request by five (5) business days to January 31, 2025. Your Request seeks the following records:
1. A copy of every administrative subpoena received by [the Office] from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and/or the Department of Homeland Security between 1/1/2016 and 12/31/2022.
2. A copy of all email or mailed communications sent to or received from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and/or the Department of Homeland Security that pertains to administrative subpoenas received between 1/1/2016 and 12/31/2022.
The Office has conducted a reasonably diligent search of its physical and electronic databases and has identified certain responsive records to your Request within its possession and custody. The responsive record is attached with this correspondence. However, the Office has redacted certain exempt information contained within the responsive records pursuant to applicable FOIA exemptions. The Office’s factual basis for this partial denial of your request is detailed below.
The Office has redacted unique identifiers, including social security numbers; driver’s license numbers; and signatures (Ill. Att’y Gen. Pub. Acc. Op. No. 14-015, issued March 25, 2014, at 11) from the responsive record pursuant to FOIA exemption 7(1)(b), which expressly exempts private information from disclosure. 5 ILCS 140/2(c-5); 5 ILCS 140/7(1)(b).
The disclosure of the following information is a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, and therefore the Office is withholding the following information: date of birth (IIl. Att’y Gen. Pub. Acc. Op. No. 16-0098, issued November 7, 2016, at 12); other third-party names, for instance, the names of suspected who were never arrested and of other persons referenced incidentally in reports, such as relatives or neighbors (Ill. Att’y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 31526, issued November 26, 2014, at 6). 5 ILCS 140/7(1)(c).
Note: You have the right to have any denial of your request reviewed by the Public Access Counselor (“PAC”) at the Office of the Illinois Attorney General. 5 ILCS 140/9.5(a). You can file your Request for Review with the PAC by writing to: Public Access Counselor, Office of the Illinois Attorney General, 500 S. 2nd St., Springfield, IL 62701, (877) 299-3642, public.access@ilag.gov<mailto:public.access@ilag.gov>. 5 ILCS 140/9.5(a). You also have the right to seek judicial review by filing a lawsuit in the State circuit court. 5 ILCS 140/11.
Respectfully,
[A close-up of a coin Description automatically generated with medium confidence]
FOIA OFFICER
Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias
115 S. LaSalle St., Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60603
Office: 312.814.1630
Email: FOIARequest@ilsos.gov<mailto:FOIARequest@ilsos.gov>
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
[Image]<https://twitter.com/ILSecOfState> [Image] <https://www.facebook.com/ILSecofState> [Image] <https://www.instagram.com/ilsecofstate/> [Image] <https://www.youtube.com/@ILSecofState> [Image] <https://www.linkedin.com/company/ilsecofstate/> ILSOS.gov<https://www.ilsos.gov/>
Keep Informed! Learn more about the products and services the Secretary of State’s Office provides throughout Illinois by signing up for our newsletter by clicking here<https://apps.ilsos.gov/ContactFormsWeb/newslettersubscribe.jsp>.
