Ask any reporter or public watchdog dealing with federal agencies and they will tell you the Freedom of Information Act is an invaluable tool to ensure government transparency and accountability. They can also share stories of dealing with mind-numbing bureaucracy and yearslong waits.
The 55-year-old law remains powerful but flawed, with disclosure from some agencies only coming after legal action, an unacceptable barrier to what must be readily available public information.
The latest example comes from the University of Washington Center for Human Rights, which has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement after the agencies failed to respond to more than a dozen FOIA requests filed since 2019.
