Specifically, CREW requests copies of all communications from January 1, 2017, to the present sent to or from anyone within the Executive Office of the President and/or anyone acting on behalf of the Executive Office of the President including, but not limited to, anyone on the Trump transition team, to or from the State Department concerning the president’s executive order issued on January 27, 2017, “Protecting the Nationa From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States.” This request includes both written and electronic communications, including but limited to email communications using the domain EOP. gov.

The requested records would shed light on the role if any, ODNI played in the White House’s development of the immigration travel ban and the extent to which State was provided an opportunity to review and weigh in on the executive order before President Trump issued it. Given the extensive news reporting suggesting the relevant agencies were largely left in the dark any information about how the order was vetted could help alleviate widespread concerns that the order was hastily drafted without sufficient consideration of it legal and practical ramifications.

On January 10th 2018, The State Department responded with 35 documents responsive to CREW’s request. A decision on the remaining 19 documents requires “inta-agency or interagency coordination and the documents have been referred to another government office for further review”. Click here to read the 35 responsive documents.

Read More in FOIA Requests