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USCIS · Request closures · Request IRW-022

Closures reviewed by a person versus automatic closures

This request asks for monthly counts, from October 1, 2024 to the present, of FOIA cases USCIS closed. It asks how many closures a person reviewed or signed off on, compared with how many a system closed automatically with no human review, and how many fell under each reason for closing. The counts are also to be broken down by office and by processing queue or track.

Why it matters
Would show how many FOIA closures were made without a person reviewing them.
ProcessingExtension invoked 27 business days since filing (39 calendar days)

Figures as of Oct 17, 2026. Check after Nov 16, 2026: if you are reading later than that, these figures may be out of date.

These figures are more than 30 days old. They may not reflect what has happened since Oct 17, 2026.

Extension invoked
USCIS told the requester it would invoke the 10-working-day "unusual circumstances" extension the law allows (5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6)(B)). USCIS placed this request in its "simple track (Track 1)," and the same letter invoked the extension. It said USCIS would need to collect records "from multiple offices, both at headquarters and in the field" and might need to "consult with another agency or other component" of the Department of Homeland Security. What an extension means

Timeline

  1. FiledSep 8, 2026
  2. Acknowledged by USCISOct 7, 2026
  3. Final responseNot yet received

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Template T-16
Monthly counts of FOIA cases the agency closed from October 1, 2024 (start of fiscal year 2025) through the present, showing for each month: 1. How many closures a person reviewed or signed off on, versus how many were closed automatically by a system with no human review. 2. Within each of those two groups, how many closures fell into each reason the case was closed (for example: records released in full, released in part, denied in full, no records found, referred to another agency, request withdrawn, or any other closure category the agency tracks). The counts are also broken down by the office that handled the request and by any processing queue or track the request was assigned to (such as simple, complex, or expedited).
How to file it