American Oversight

We’re suing the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service for records that could shed light on Trump’s politicized use of federal power in D.C., from enforcing cruel immigration policies to deploying the military against protesters. americanoversight.org/american-ove...

NEW: Days before Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s release from custody, DHS told us it no longer preserves texts for Sec. Kristi Noem and other top officials—a decision made as the agency faced increased scrutiny over Garcia’s wrongful deportation. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/u...

From slashing food bank funding to cutting cancer research grants, DOGE has gutted programs that aid vulnerable communities. By dodging transparency, DOGE is hiding the human cost of their devastating budget cuts. americanoversight.org/as-doge-cuts...

Congress subpoenaed AG Pam Bondi to investigate her handling of the Epstein files. We're suing for instructions and training materials provided to DOJ staff who reviewed the files. The docs could tell us if Bondi told staff to flag mentions of Trump. americanoversight.org/american-ove...

There is too much news to follow. We’re here to help. Our weekly newsletter has the biggest stories in government accountability and why they matter. In today’s edition: DHS’s path forward after Noem, and Trump’s mishandling of classified docs. Subscribe here: americanoversight.org/newsletter/

The Trump administration keeps blocking Congress from seeing the appalling conditions in ICE detention. But we keep fighting back — and winning. For the third time, a judge ordered DHS to allow Congress to conduct oversight of ICE facilities. americanoversight.org/court-orders...

“Secretary Noem’s departure does not change the underlying crisis at DHS…Swapping out one political appointee for another will not undo the damage being inflicted on families and communities across the country,” said our Executive Director Chioma Chukwu. americanoversight.org/kristi-noem-...

Our last FOIA lawsuit against ICE revealed that agents had killed another American and that the agency knew use-of-force incidents had nearly tripled. Now, we’re suing CBP to find out more about its use of force and how it trains agents. americanoversight.org/american-ove...

DHS didn’t publicly admit that one of its agents shot and killed Ruben Ray Martinez until our lawsuit unearthed an internal report of the shooting. Now, lawmakers are demanding accountability. And we have a lot more questions. www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...

Swapping out Noem is not enough to fix DHS. It will not undo the damage being inflicted on families and communities across the country. Americans still deserve answers about the policies being carried out in their name. americanoversight.org/kristi-noem-...

ICE’s 287(g) program can make local police a part of federal immigration enforcement. That’s how some Minnesota officers ended up working with ICE during the crackdown in Minneapolis. We FOIAed 8 sheriff’s offices to see how they talk behind closed doors.

With no credible evidence, Trump has claimed there is a link between taking Tylenol during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder. HHS is reportedly working on a report about it. We filed FOIA requests to find out what science the administration is relying on — if there is any.

American farmers have been approaching a financial crisis for years, and tariffs may have pushed them over the edge. The Trump administration keeps promising to help, but farmers aren’t getting relief. We FOIAed the USDA to see how they’re discussing the crisis.