Federal agency FOIA guide · Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
A common destination for border-crossing, entry/exit, customs, inspection, apprehension, and CBP encounter records.
Common request topics
bordercrossingtravel historyentryexitcustomsdetention
Where to submit
Mail / email details in FOIAFiler
Email: CBPFOIAMain@cbp.dhs.gov
Mail:
FOIA Division
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20229
Related request recipes
Border crossing / entry-exit history
CBP is generally the first stop for border and inspection records. Include identifying information requested by the agency.
Immigration A-File / benefit records
Immigration records are often split among USCIS, ICE, CBP, and EOIR. Start with the component most closely tied to the record.
How to make the request easier to process
- Describe the records, not just the question you want answered.
- Use a specific date range when possible.
- Name the office, event, case number, contract number, facility, or other locator if known.
- List useful record types such as emails, reports, memoranda, photographs, logs, contracts, or policy documents.
- For records about yourself, follow the agency’s identity-verification and Privacy Act instructions.
- Ask for reasonably segregable non-exempt portions if responsive records contain exempt material.
Build it
One agency or several?
If this agency is clearly the custodian, build one request. If the records may be split among several components, Request Bundles can generate a separate letter for each selected agency while keeping the core description consistent.