Operation Palladium FOIA

At a Glance

Date Filed: 

December 16, 2020

Current Status 

Cross motions for summary judgment were filed in early 2022. A new complaint was filed and related to the case in November 2022 regarding searches of CBP.

Co-Counsel 

Immigrant Defense Project, Latino Justice

Client(s) 

Immigrant Defense Project and the Center for Consitutional Rights

Case Description 

The lawsuit seeks to compel both the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to release documents pertaining to “Operation Palladium,” an aggressive immigration enforcement program that is part of a Trump administration effort to target sanctuary cities that have enacted measures to protect immigrant residents and prevent federal immigration enforcement practices from disrupting state and local systems and services. The New York Times described "Operation Palladium" as a “supercharged arrest operation.” 

ICE and DHS refused to release information on the program in response to an urgent FOIA request, filed in June 2020, over concerns about the program’s legality, so IDP and the Center for Constitutional Rights filed our lawsuit in December 2020 seeking a court order to force the agencies to produce any records they have.

Case Timeline

November 21, 2022
IDP, Latino Justice, and Center for Constitutional Rights file related complaint regarding new FOIAs to CBP, DHS
November 21, 2022
IDP, Latino Justice, and Center for Constitutional Rights file related complaint regarding new FOIAs to CBP, DHS
The complaint is filed in the Southern District of New York.
December 16, 2020
IDP and the Center for Constitutional Rights file complaint in federal court
December 16, 2020
IDP and the Center for Constitutional Rights file complaint in federal court
The complaint is filed in the Southern District of New York.