The TSA is sharing passenger data with ICE. That puts air travelers at risk, and it continues the Trump administration’s pattern of using private data to support its immigration agenda. We’re suing the Trump admin to learn more about the agreement. americanoversight.org/american-ove...

Records from Trump’s first administration are now eligible for public release through FOIA. They could tell us about everything from immigration policy to attempts to subvert the 2020 election – both events that shape his actions today. americanoversight.org/records-from...

DOGE staff may have used Social Security data to help an advocacy group seeking to overturn election results in certain states. We’ve been sounding the alarm about DOGE’s unauthorized access to Americans’ private info. www.politico.com/news/2026/01...

The Trump admin wants us to strike its own public comments in our lawsuit for records from the FBI’s investigation of Jeffrey Epstein. We opposed the motion. The public has a right to know if the president was questioned in the case. americanoversight.org/american-ove...

The same people who made catastrophic decisions in Trump 1.0 are making key decisions now. Records from Trump’s first administration are now eligible for public release, and that can tell us more about how Trump and his staff operate. americanoversight.org/records-from...

Some corporations who pledged to fund the White House ballroom are poised to benefit from Trump’s new AI plan. We need to know if this was quid-pro-quo. We requested communications with or about donors as well as records of the donor pledge form. www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/01...

DHS is central to mass deportations and the occupation of American cities. We’re working to make sure the decisions DHS makes are recorded out in the open, so that Americans can hold it accountable. americanoversight.org/investigatio...

On Jan. 20, presidential records from Trump’s first administration will be subject to FOIA. It’s a huge opportunity to learn how Trump operates. But Trump’s former defense attorney is overseeing the process. We’re demanding he step aside. americanoversight.org/blanche-shou...

“If the president of the United States was questioned by federal investigators in the Epstein case, the American people have a right to know.” Chioma Chukwu, Executive Director of American Oversight americanoversight.org/american-ove...

Ed Martin is a key part of the Trump admin’s attacks on his perceived political enemies. Martin’s reportedly conducting official business on personal devices and autodeleting messaging apps. We expanded our lawsuit for records related to Martin. americanoversight.org/american-ove...

First, RFK Jr. replaced members of HHS’s vaccine advisory panel with vaccine skeptics. Now, he’s expanded the panel to include two more vaccine critics — including an OB/GYN who has called herself an “anti-vaxxer.” www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...

In this week’s newsletter: More on efforts to block Congressional oversight of ICE facilities, officials’ use of auto-deleting apps for government business, and an important FOIA milestone. americanoversight.org/newsletter/i...

We’re opposing the Trump admin’s efforts to strike its own comments from our lawsuit seeking records about Jeffrey Epstein. The public has a right to know if the president was questioned as part of the case. americanoversight.org/american-ove...

DHS and ICE are posting stylized arrest videos and recruitment ads that invoke white nationalist themes. We sent FOIA requests for social media strategy documents that could show the agencies’ target audiences are and why they are using this imagery. www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

On Jan. 20, presidential records from Trump’s first administration will be eligible for release. But a key person involved in those decisions is his former defense attorney and current deputy AG Todd Blanche. We’re demanding Blanche step aside. americanoversight.org/blanche-shou...

The Trump administration claims it’s eager to root out government waste. So let’s talk about FBI Director Kash Patel’s use of the FBI jet to go on a golf trip, dates, and sports events. All at taxpayers’ expense. We asked the FBI for Patel’s flight logs and travel expenses.

Like many Americans, we’re concerned about reports of violence from ICE agents. We need to know if this is how ICE is training officers. We sued ICE last April to get it to release its policy and trainings on use of force. We’re still fighting for their release.

Jerome Powell is the latest of Trump’s perceived enemies to be investigated by the DOJ. Ed Martin is the “chief enforcer” behind these attacks – he’s reportedly destroying records related to his work. We just expanded our lawsuit for his records. americanoversight.org/american-ove...

The Trump admin has been pushing states to use its new national citizenship data system to remove people from their voter rolls. The reason for it — Trump’s longstanding claim that undocumented people are voting — has been proven false yet again. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/14/u...

NEW: We expanded our lawsuit to uncover records on DOJ’s “Chief Enforcer” Ed Martin. Martin is behind many of the criminal investigations into Trump’s perceived political enemies. He’s reportedly destroyed records of his communications. americanoversight.org/american-ove...

We’re representing 12 members of congress in their lawsuit for access to immigration detention facilities. Last weekend, DHS secretly imposed new restrictions on their access. Today, we’re back in court demanding answers. americanoversight.org/members-of-c...

Donald Trump is attempting to influence the 2026 midterms by changing how they’re conducted. His wide-ranging tactics include staffing key election agencies with election deniers like Heather Honey. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Members of Congress have a duty to conduct oversight of ICE detention facilities, but the Trump admin keeps obstructing their access. This weekend, DHS secretly imposed new restrictions, flouting a court order. We’re going back to court to demand answers. americanoversight.org/members-of-c...

DHS secretly imposed new restrictions on congressional visits to ICE detention centers — even though a federal court ruled last month that members must have unrestricted access to the facilities to conduct oversight. We’re going back to court to demand answers. americanoversight.org/members-of-c...

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, ICE reportedly targeted Spanish-speaking churches, mosques, and synagogues. We need to know what top officials said about this plan and what orders ICE received. We filed FOIA requests to find out. thisweekinworcester.com/exclusive-tr...

DHS secretly imposed new restrictions on congressional visits to ICE detention centers — even though a federal court ruled last month that members must have unrestricted access to the facilities to conduct oversight. We’re going back to court to demand answers. americanoversight.org/members-of-c...

Once again, the Trump administration is using the power of the federal government to attack a perceived political opponent. This time, the DOJ opened a criminal investigation of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, tied to the Fed building’s renovation. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Last month, we sued the Trump administration for any legal justifications of the boat strikes that have resulted in 115 deaths. The administration still hasn’t provided them — and now they have escalated their actions. americanoversight.org/american-ove...

In this week’s newsletter: The five-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack, the heightened need for transparency from ICE, and what public records tell us about Maduro’s detention conditions. americanoversight.org/newsletter/t...

The Department of Justice prosecuted 1,600+ people in connection with the Jan. 6 insurrection. Then Trump pardoned almost all of them. We need to know if the government is intentionally downplaying their actions. We’re suing the DOJ and FBI to find out. americanoversight.org/american-ove...

DHS and Sec. Kristi Noem have reportedly drafted plans to cut FEMA’s staff in half this year. We’ve been investigating the way changes to the agency will impact Americans. www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2026...

We have a few questions for Halligan ourselves. She led the politically charged prosecutions and indictments of NY AG Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey – and we’re trying to get records about her work. abcnews.go.com/US/judge-ord...

Mega corporations have pledged millions of dollars to fund the construction of a ballroom at the White House. We need to know more about what they were promised in return. We filed FOIAs for communications with or about donors as well as records of the donor pledge form.

We sued ICE last April, to get it to release its policy and trainings on use of force. We’re still fighting for the release. As reports of violence from ICE agents increase, we need to know — are these rogue officers, or is this how they are being trained? americanoversight.org/new-lawsuit-...

Last year, a new law mandated severe cuts to SNAP benefits, including by increasing work requirements on parents and older adults. We need to know how these cuts are affecting Americans. We filed FOIA requests for impact analyses and communications about the cuts.

The Department of Justice prosecuted 1,600+ people in connection with the Jan. 6 insurrection. Then Trump pardoned almost all of them. We need to know if the government is intentionally downplaying their actions. We’re suing the DOJ and FBI to find out. americanoversight.org/american-ove...

Following the Trump administration’s arrest and detention of Venezuelan President Maduro, he has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center. Records we previously obtained revealed troubling conditions — including use of force — at MDC. americanoversight.org/what-we-know...

You probably saw the announcement this week that federal officials cut childhood vaccine recommendations for RSV, Hepatitis A and B, meningitis, and more. The new recommendations tie back to HHS’s vaccine advisory panel, which we’ve been warning about. americanoversight.org/as-vaccine-p...

Donald Trump claims Jan. 6 was a “day of love.” We know it was a horrific assault on our democracy. We fought for records that shed light on the chaos of that day. And we’re fighting every day to expose ongoing threats to our democracy. americanoversight.org/resource/a-t...

January 6 was an assault on voters and democracy itself. It advanced the dangerous idea that election results are optional for those in power. Whitewashing that truth legitimizes abuse and invites its repetition.

Five years after Jan. 6, the public is still being denied basic transparency into how the Trump administration is handling the attack and its aftermath. We sued for top DOJ and FBI officials’ recent texts and emails related to the attacks and Trump’s pardons. americanoversight.org/american-ove...

It’s been five years since January 6. In that time, the Trump administration has tried to rewrite history, describing an insurrection as a “day of love.” That’s why records of that day are so important: They will help us hold people accountable, and stop it from happening again.

NEW: We’re suing the DOJ and FBI for top officials’ recent emails and texts about the Jan. 6 insurrection, Trump’s related pardons, and efforts to undermine certification of the 2020 election. americanoversight.org/american-ove...

At least 80 people died this weekend in Venezuela when the Trump administration raided the capital and seized President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. This is a dramatic escalation from the 35 boat strikes the administration ordered last year. www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01...

We need to know how FEMA’s grant program to fund temporary detention centers operates and how the Trump administration is coordinating with state governments on mass detention. We sent FOIA requests to FEMA for policy documents related to the program. www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

We spent 2025 fighting for transparency to ensure the public has the information it needs to hold the government accountable. Here’s a look at some of our biggest wins this year. americanoversight.org/newsletter/o...

A lot happened this year: DOGE, mass detention, a sweeping trade war, and so much more. That’s why we spent 2025 fighting for transparency — to ensure the public has the info it needs to hold the government accountable. Here’s a look at some of our biggest wins this year.

1/ After sitting on our case for nearly a year, Judge Cannon refused to lift the gag order on Jack Smith’s report on Trump’s handling of classified documents. americanoversight.org/judge-cannon...

The Trump admin has been using mortgage info from the FHFA to target Trump's enemies. Acting FHFA Inspector General Joe Allen was reportedly ousted as he was preparing a letter to Congress. We requested a copy of the letter and the justification for Allen’s dismissal.

Earlier this month, we sued DOD and DOJ for records related to Sec. of Defense Pete Hegseth’s order to “kill everybody” during strikes on Venezuelan boats. Legal and military experts have warned the Trump administration’s strikes may be war crimes. americanoversight.org/american-ove...