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FOIA Pipeline — Mortui Vivos Docent

Purpose: Systematically file Freedom of Information Act requests to obtain government records that strengthen our dossiers and expose what's being hidden.

Filing Address: oilcloth@posteo.us (privacy-focused, EU-based, no real name required)

Why FOIA Matters for Us

FOIA creates a legal obligation for the government to respond. Every request starts a clock:
- 20 business days to respond (they rarely meet this, but it's the law)
- If they deny or delay, we can appeal (90 days to file)
- If they stonwall, we can sue in federal court
- Even a denial is intelligence — it tells us what they're protecting

Key insight from investigative journalists: "100% of requests that aren't filed get nothing back." File often. File specifically. File in batches.

Strategy

1. Multi-Agency Filing

File the same request with multiple agencies to compare redactions and fill gaps:
- ICE (ice-foia@ice.dhs.gov) — detention records, death investigations, enforcement operations
- CBP (cbp.gov/foia) — border encounters, use of force, agent conduct
- DHS HQ (dhs.gov/foia) — policy directives, TITUS contracts, oversight reports
- DOJ/EOIR — immigration court records, civil rights investigations (or lack thereof)
- DHS OIG — Inspector General investigations, detention inspections

2. Local Agency FOIA

When federal agencies stonewall, file with local agencies that intersect with ICE:
- Police departments (911 logs, coordination emails, arrest reports)
- County jails (transfer records to ICE)
- City offices (facility permits, correspondence with DHS)
- Medical examiners (autopsy reports — may be state records, not federal)

3. Batch Categories

Category A: Individual Death Records (Priority)
For each of our 59 documented cases, request:
- Death investigation report
- Autopsy report
- Detainee death review
- Medical records (last 72 hours minimum)
- Incident reports
- Internal communications regarding the death
- Video surveillance footage
- Corrective action plans

Category B: Facility Records
For each facility where deaths occurred:
- Inspection reports (last 2 years)
- Medical staffing records
- Detainee complaint logs
- Use of force logs
- Mortality/morbidity reports
- Contract documents (who operates, how much they're paid)

Category C: Policy and Infrastructure
- TITUS contract task orders and facility activation documents
- WEXMAC 2.1 amendment documents
- DHS spreadsheet of 20+ warehouse locations (full, unredacted)
- Third-country deportation agreements (all countries)
- CECOT payment records
- Operation Metro Surge deployment orders
- Body camera policies and footage retention policies

Category D: Accountability
- Use of force reports for Good, Pretti, Martinez shootings
- Internal affairs investigations related to Minneapolis operations
- Congressional access denial memos (Noem's two memos)
- ICE inspection rate data (why inspections plummeted)
- Medical contractor payment halt documentation

4. Fee Waiver Strategy

Every request should include a fee waiver request based on:
- Public interest: "Disclosure is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations and activities of the government"
- Not commercial: We are a CC0 public domain project — no commercial interest
- Widespread media interest: 31-32 deaths in 2025, Congressional inquiries, federal lawsuits

5. Expedited Processing Strategy

Request expedited processing when:
- Urgency to inform the public about government activity
- Questions about government integrity that affect public confidence
- Imminent threat — for cases where conditions remain dangerous

Filing Process

Step 1: Draft Request

Use templates below. Be specific. Include:
- Exact records sought (list each type)
- Date range
- Facility name / person name
- Fee waiver justification
- Expedited processing justification (when applicable)
- Preferred format: "Electronic copies preferred (PDF)"

Step 2: File via foia.gov

  • Create account at foia.gov
  • Select correct agency/component
  • Submit request
  • Save confirmation number

Step 3: Track

Log every request in our tracking spreadsheet:
- Request ID / confirmation number
- Date filed
- Agency
- Subject
- Status
- Response deadline (20 business days from filing)
- Appeal deadline (90 days from adverse determination)

Step 4: Follow Up

  • If no response by day 20: send follow-up
  • If denied: file administrative appeal
  • If appeal denied: evaluate litigation (ACLU and others have sued ICE over FOIA noncompliance)

Step 5: Publish

  • Received records get OCR'd, analyzed, and integrated into dossiers
  • Redacted documents get published with analysis of what was redacted and why
  • Denials get published — the refusal to release is itself intelligence

Request Templates

Template A: Individual Death Investigation

Subject: FOIA Request — Death of [FULL NAME] in ICE Custody

Dear FOIA Officer:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552, I am requesting
copies of the following records related to the death of [FULL NAME],
who died on [DATE] while in ICE custody at [FACILITY NAME], [CITY, STATE]:

1. All death investigation reports, including the ICE Detainee Death Review
2. Autopsy report and toxicology results
3. Medical records from the last 72 hours of the decedent's life
4. Incident reports filed by facility staff
5. Internal communications (emails, memoranda, reports) regarding this death
6. Video surveillance footage from the 48 hours preceding the death
7. EMS/ambulance response records
8. Corrective action plans or policy changes implemented following this death
9. Any complaints filed by or on behalf of the decedent prior to death
10. Intake medical screening records

Date Range: [INTAKE DATE] through [30 DAYS AFTER DEATH]
Facility: [FACILITY NAME, CITY, STATE]

FEE WAIVER REQUEST: I request a waiver of all fees associated with this
request pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(iii). Disclosure of these
records is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute
significantly to public understanding of government operations — specifically,
the conditions in ICE detention facilities and the circumstances surrounding
deaths in government custody. This request is not for commercial purposes.
The information will be published at no cost to the public through The
Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project (CC0 public domain).

EXPEDITED PROCESSING REQUEST: I request expedited processing pursuant to
5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(E). There is an urgency to inform the public about
government activity given that [YEAR] had the highest number of ICE
detention deaths since 2004, and there exist possible questions about the
government's integrity that affect public confidence regarding the care of
individuals in federal custody.

Please provide records in electronic format (PDF preferred).

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
oilcloth@posteo.us

Template B: Facility Records

Subject: FOIA Request — [FACILITY NAME] Detention Records

Dear FOIA Officer:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552, I am requesting
copies of the following records related to [FACILITY NAME], [CITY, STATE]:

1. All inspection reports (January 2024 through present)
2. Medical staffing records and contracts
3. Detainee grievance/complaint logs (January 2025 through present)
4. Use of force incident reports (January 2025 through present)
5. Mortality and morbidity reports
6. Current contract documents between ICE and facility operator
7. Bed capacity and average daily population data (monthly, 2025-present)
8. Any corrective action plans issued to this facility

FEE WAIVER REQUEST: [Same as Template A]

Please provide records in electronic format (PDF preferred).

Sincerely,
Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
oilcloth@posteo.us

Template C: TITUS Infrastructure

Subject: FOIA Request — TITUS / WEXMAC 2.1 Contract Documents

Dear FOIA Officer:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552, I am requesting
copies of the following records related to the Territorial Integrity of the
United States (TITUS) program and WEXMAC 2.1 contract vehicle:

1. The complete WEXMAC 2.1 amendment establishing TITUS
2. All task orders issued under TITUS (July 2025 through present)
3. The DHS spreadsheet of proposed detention facility locations
4. Contract awards to 701C, KDP Global Enterprises, Anovaeon, SGK Global
   Services, Guardian 6 Solutions, and Worldwide Employee Housing Solutions
5. Facility design specifications and capacity targets
6. Environmental impact assessments for proposed locations
7. Communications between DHS and local governments regarding facility siting
8. Budget justification documents for the $45 billion ceiling increase

FEE WAIVER REQUEST: [Same as Template A]

EXPEDITED PROCESSING REQUEST: [Same as Template A, citing urgent public
interest in the largest domestic detention infrastructure expansion in
U.S. history]

Please provide records in electronic format (PDF preferred).

Sincerely,
Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
oilcloth@posteo.us

Tracking

Batch 001 — Priority Deaths + Infrastructure (Drafted 2026-02-12)

# Date Filed Agency Subject Status Response Due Notes
001 Pending ICE Jean Wilson Brutus death (Delaney Hall, NJ) DRAFTED — 24-hour death, inconclusive autopsy
002 Pending ICE Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir death (Moshannon Valley, PA) DRAFTED — Filed lawsuit 3 days before death
003 Pending ICE Parady La death (FDC Philadelphia, PA) DRAFTED — 24hr untreated withdrawal
004 Pending ICE Francisco Gaspar-Andrés death (Camp East Montana, TX) DRAFTED — 54 days untreated illness
005 Pending ICE Nenko Stanev Gantchev death (North Lake, MI) DRAFTED — Untreated diabetes, denied echo
006 Pending ICE Delaney Hall facility records DRAFTED — Brutus death facility
007 Pending ICE Camp East Montana facility records DRAFTED — 3 deaths + homicide + autopsy bypass
008 Pending ICE Moshannon Valley facility records DRAFTED — 3 deaths in 2025
009 Pending DHS HQ TITUS / WEXMAC 2.1 contract DRAFTED — $55B Navy-funded camps
010 Pending ICE Operation Metro Surge records DRAFTED — 2 killed, 1 beaten in Mpls
011 Pending DHS OIG Camp East Montana autopsy bypass DRAFTED — Body routed to military hospital after homicide ruling

Complete request texts are published in this project's source repository on Codeberg.

Resources

Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
"Every request creates a legal obligation. Every denial is intelligence."