My June 16, 2009, FOIA request for TSA's airport passenger search & interrogation procedures is reportedly in the "internal review" process. I've been notified that the standard operating procedures I requested did not change between the time of my request and November 23, 2009, when my case was forwarded for internal review.
Originally Posted by
pmocek
Today, I submitted a FOIA request to DHS for copies of any documents pertaining to TSA policies regarding discovery and verification of identities of passengers by TSA staff at airports in the United States.
Originally Posted by
pmocek
today I placed a new request for the TSA Screening Management SOP manual.
Originally Posted by
pmocek
I recently received notice that my request (TSA09-0624) will require TSA to invoke the 10-day extension allowed by FOIA to the 20-business-day period in which they are required to comply.
Oddly, though I requested (at warning1369's suggestion) TSA's "Screening Management SOP manual" then at the FOIA officer's request, clarified that to mean "a written description of procedures [their] staff use at airport checkpoints when searching and interrogating people who are stopped by [their] staff at those checkpoints" they now say that my request seeks numerous documents that will necessiate a thorough and wide-ranging search.
Is there not such a thing as the Screening Management SOP Manual? I figured they'd just pull one document, redact it as necessary, and pass it along.
Two days ago, I wrote to the TSA FOIA office:
From: Phillip Mocek
Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 2009 12:47 PM
To: TSA FOIA Officer
Subject: FOIA: request status of TSA09-0624; will info be outdated by timeof fulfillment?
Please describe the current status of FOIA request TSA09-0624.
Also, should I expect documents responsive to my request that were current at the time of the request, or at are current at time of the fulfillment of that request? I understand that policies change with time, and it has been nearly six months since I filed my request.
Today, TSA responded:
Date: Fri, 4 Dec 2009 11:02:12 -0500
From: TSA FOIA Office
Subject: RE: FOIA: request status of TSA09-0624; will info be outdated by timeof fulfillment?
To: Phillip Mocek
Mr. Mocek,
Your FOIA case was forwarded for internal review on November 23, 2009. The SOP that you requested has not changed since the date of your request. So, yes, you should expect the document responsive to your request that was current at the time your request was rendered.
We apologize for the delay, please bear with us. Your request is in the "internal review" process.
Thanks,
TSA FOIA Office