A conservative watchdog group, the Oversight Project, has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security in an effort to obtain communications between Vice President Kamala Harris’ executive office and U.S. Customs and Border Protection regarding the southwest border and illegal immigration. The group had previously filed a Freedom of Information Act request for these communications in September, but felt that DHS’ response did not comply with federal law, prompting the lawsuit. The lawsuit aims to compel DHS to release the communications by October 22nd, with the goal of informing the public about Harris’ role in overseeing border security operations amidst a surge in illegal immigration.
The founder of the Oversight Project, Connor Brosnan, emphasized the importance of the requested documents in relation to the upcoming election, citing the significance of immigration as a key issue. He expressed concern that the public’s understanding of Harris’ record on border security could be hindered if the documents were not released in a timely manner. The lawsuit also includes a motion for a preliminary injunction, which, if approved, would speed up the release of the documents. Brosnan highlighted the need for transparency regarding Harris’ communications with CBP to provide a true picture of her actions during the border crisis.
The filing for the lawsuit detailed discrepancies in CBP’s response to the Freedom of Information Act request, pointing out that the agency had administratively closed the request without informing the plaintiffs. The Oversight Project was informed that their request was insufficient and lacked specificity on which CBP employees’ emails to search through, as well as which email domains related to Harris’ executive office should be included in the search. The lawsuit draws attention to a similar request for documents made by Rep. James Comer, which reiterated the need for transparency regarding Harris’ role as the border czar in addressing the ongoing crisis at the border.
Brosnan underscored the importance of understanding what communications took place between Harris’ team and CBP during the height of the border crisis, especially given the media’s attempts to reinterpret Harris’ record on the issue. He argued that the public must be aware of the nature of these communications to form an accurate assessment of Harris’ effectiveness in managing border security operations. Efforts to obtain comments from Comer’s and Harris’ offices on the matter were not successful. The legal action taken by the Oversight Project reflects a broader initiative to increase transparency and accountability in government actions related to immigration and border security.
In summary, the Oversight Project, a conservative watchdog group, has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security to compel the release of communications between Vice President Kamala Harris’ office and U.S. Customs and Border Protection regarding the southwest border and illegal immigration. The lawsuit seeks to provide transparency on Harris’ role as the border czar in addressing the border crisis and shed light on her communications with CBP during this time. The lawsuit also emphasizes the importance of the documents in informing the public about Harris’ record on border security, especially in the context of the upcoming election. The legal action aims to hold government agencies accountable and ensure transparency in addressing key issues such as immigration and border security.
