A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Edwards County Sheriff's Office in Illinois on February 18, 2025. The request was made by SE Illinois News, a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.
The FOIA request specifically sought documents and records showing persons committed to the facility that have had an Immigration Detainer issued by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency lodged against them since January 29, 2024.
In addition, requests from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security regarding civil enforcement were also asked for. These are reportable under the TRUST Act, as codified at 5 ILCS 805/1, et seq., and/or the Illinois VOICES Act, as codified at 5 ILCS 825/1, et seq.
Furthermore, Immigration Detainers received from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security were requested for as well. These are also reportable under the Illinois TRUST Act and/or the Illinois VOICES Act.
As members of SE Illinois News and The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, we believe that access to public records is essential for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities. This includes holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. We hope that our status as a media organization will qualify us for a fee waiver for this request.
For more information about our work in investigating state and federal governmental agencies and leveraging Freedom of Information and Sunshine Laws to pull back the curtain on government actions, please visit https://stopsecrecy.org/about/.
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