@reclaimtherecords.org , I wish you every success in your lawsuit again the VA which is now refusing to fulfill FOIA requests. I got in my request about my father in WW2 probably on July 8. It is already more than half through October, and I haven't even received a denial.

What's a #FOIA Appeal? What's some good language to use when you want to argue with the government about why they should be giving you the file you asked for, instead of some "genealogy letter"? We got you covered, fam. Check out our advice in our latest newsletter: mailchi.mp/reclaimthere...

✊ Always Appeal! ✊ Did the VA refuse to send you a full copy of a C-File (claims file) that you requested under #FOIA for a deceased veteran? Well, we now have some attorney-approved sample texts you can use to fight back! Check out BIRLS.org/appeals for the latest!

#Genealogy #FamilyHistory The US Veterans Admin sent an almost empty page in response to FOIA request for Dad's military/health records (WWII service). @reclaimtherecords.org recommends appealing & my appeal is complicated by my nameless birth cert climbingmyfamilytree.blogspot.com/2025/09/appe...

Just re requested my grandfather's files with my mother so she can easily appeal the denial as next of kin. I just really want to know what they wrote when he went missing in France and then when they found him in England thanks to my Grandma getting a letter from him.

I received numerous denials in the mail recently, which made me absolutely livid. I will absolutely appeal if able.

I finally had my FOIA fulfilled for my great grandfather, only for it to be bare bones textual genealogical information and not scans of his WWI file. Waiting for the language to understand how I can best appeal.

Got one of these FOIA denials in response to records for my and @kneld.bsky.social’s grandfather’s files. Ready to appeal!

NEW: We just published 1.5 million NEW BIRLS records for 2020-2023, ALL FREE -- but now the VA doesn't want you to see any of them! Read all about it in our latest newsletter: mailchi.mp/reclaimthere...

First we fight and win a four year public records lawsuit, but *then* we really get to work making the data free and usable... *cracks knuckles, goes back to coding*

Czech immigrant ancestral village search success story thanks to @reclaimtherecords.org helping get the NYC vital record images published. From all US records, only an 1878 birth record showed the birth locations of the parents. Kuttenberg is the German exonym for Kutna Hora. #Genealogy #Czech

Received my first C-File yesterday! Had requested via @reclaimtherecords.org on Dec 28 & had received notice that file would be coming on Feb 25. Some info redacted in case ppl still living. Was not expecting much for this vet but still got a few new insights. Waiting on 3 more. 🙂

We just got notice that a Freedom of Information request we made for a certain state's vital records index in August 2020, heard as a contested case in August 2021, was finally decided in our favor... That's nearly five years. FIVE YEARS! 😤 But we won. New data coming soon. 😊

APG has issued a letter to the Mayor of Washington, D.C., urging the reinstatement of funding for the planned DC State Archives building. This vital project protects historical records & supports ongoing research efforts. www.apgen.org/docs/3_June_...

OUR BILL PASSED the New York State Assembly yesterday -- UNANIMOUSLY! 🤩 It's still not a done deal yet. It has to go to the governor, and be signed, and not have last-minute line-item edits or a veto. But we are now SO much closer to reforming New York's vital records access!

UPDATE: The proposed state bill we're supporting to put millions of scanned-and-indexed older New York vital records online PASSED the NYS Senate today, 50-9! Now it needs to go through the Assembly... You can subscribe to the bill's progress here: www.nysenate.gov/legislation/...

When Reclaim the Records shows up, institutions should save themselves the time and money and just give them the records. RTC is going to win. #genealogy

Here's the official video of our intrepid attorney-by-day (and genealogist-by-night) Michael Moritz bravely arguing (and winning!) our case at the New York State Court of Appeals, in case you want to see an episode of "Law and Order: Special Genealogy Unit". www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEFf...

Ahem. The latest issue of our newsletter is finally out. It's a big one. WE WON THE FULL NEW YORK STATE DEATH INDEX, THE WHOLE THING, 1880-2017, WE BEAT THE LARGEST GOVERNMENT AGENCY IN NEW YORK AND WE'RE SETTING MORE THAN TEN MILLION RECORDS FREEEEEE Read all about it: mailchi.mp/reclaimthere...

Another amazing victory for @reclaimtherecords.org - and, of course, all genealogists! 👏👏👏

You guys...? We did it. 🥰 We won the FULL NEW YORK STATE DEATH INDEX FOR 1880-2017! We beat the largest government agency in the state of New York (@nysdoh.bsky.social), in the highest court of the state, through a Freedom of Information Law (#FOIL) suit. www.reclaimtherecords.org/records-requ...

big big big news that's been YEARS in the making and tomorrow's the day when we're finally going to tell you guys all about it but for tonight, enjoy a little hint (lawyer-approved) 😊

We know you've all been oh-so-patiently waiting for our promised press release about that "big case that we won". But look, we didn't want to send it out right before a three-day weekend! Hang on, very good news is coming soon. 😎

We just got big news in our biggest-ever lawsuit. 😳 AND IT’S GOOOOOOOD press release dropping soon

Another update! The bill we helped develop and are supporting, to get scanned New York State historical records PUT ONLINE, to enshrine the indices as OPEN under state #FOIL, and to ENSURE access to historic records is moving! More progress! assembly.ny.gov/leg/?default...

We already have an update on the newly-proposed law we're supporting in the New York State Legislature, the one we told everyone about in our latest newsletter: It now has a corresponding Assembly number (A08314) and sponsor: Amy Paulin @amypaulin.bsky.social Chair of the Committee on Health! 🥰

Also, shout-out to @reclaimtherecords.org for making those AR-2s so easy to find!

The other half of the Pope's family tree is revealed! #genealogy

Anyone researching New York State knows what a travesty obtaining vital records has become. We need a new law!

🚨 Reclaim The Records is working on A BRAND NEW LAW in the New York State Legislature! 🚨 We want to finally FIX New York State historical records access, and put it all online for everyone! And we need your help! Read our latest newsletter: mailchi.mp/reclaimthere...

We're going to be announcing some GOOD news soon. Here's a hint. 😉

Folks waiting on BIRLS requests from the VA, don't give up hope. I just got three letters confirming receipt (after 9 weeks). They can't find the file on one of those vets, but I'll be getting files for a great uncle and his son. Genealogy happy dance. #ancestry #genealogy #familyresearch #veterans

Woot! Hosting a women in WWII group and have already had a person come with a photo of their Marine Corp serving Mom and filed a FOIA with her husband for his Army serving Mom. Thanks @reclaimtherecords.org!

on trend

thinking about buying 23andme and then uploading all the genomes to the Internet Archive www.cnbc.com/2025/03/24/2...

Public records are crucial, especially now with government websites disappearing, efforts to operate out of public view, and the National Archives in disarray.

Look what came in the mail today!!! My first FOIA response from the VA!! @reclaimtherecords.org

RTR board member Alec Ferretti (@alecferretti.bsky.social) gave two lectures at RootsTech about US citizenship records, one of them specifically about Alien Files. And if you jump to 51:57 in the video, you'll see slides about "Pending Litigation", hint hint... 😌 www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_hl...

RootsTech 2025 was a great opportunity to talk to the genealogy community about records access issues, including in some longer press and interviews with our board members -- like this one, with Janice Gilyard and Cherekana Feliciano from "Speak On It!": www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmZJ...

It's that time of year again... Reclaim The Records is at #RootsTech! Come by our booth, and talk to some of our board members in the Expo Hall, and maybe pick up a T-shirt too? (also we have free candy, because of course we do)

So much can be learned throughout the #genealogy ecosystem from what @reclaimtherecords.org is doing to help so many! Reminds me of that Margaret Mead quote, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it's the only thing that ever has."

Yeah, so, today the new Administration destroyed the United States Open Government Federal Advisory Committee. It's dead now. Also, the US somehow didn't pay our 2025 dues to the Open Government Partnership. Update from @americalabs.org, the former chair, here: americalabs.org/2025/02/25/s...

Bad #FOIA & transparency news...

Update: BIRLS.org has now sent 12,400+ #FOIA requests in just the ~63 days since launch. That's ~20% of what the VBA (the relevant sub-agency within the VA) usually gets in a single *year*! And yet the letters *are* going out, and some people are starting to get their C-Files too. Kudos to the VA!

YAY, responses to (most of) my VA FOIA requests! I had a reminder set for Thursday, so they're coming in at the far end of @reclaimtherecords.org estimated arrival times—not surprising, under the *waves arm* circumstances 1 still pending—it was not like the others, so… #genealogy

Join APG on 2 March for a FREE webinar about the importance of the U.S. National Archives in our profession and how YOU can effectively engage with legislators to support archival access. Open to all; register at bit.ly/4hPJXRg. This presentation is underwritten by Civil War Records.

You say: "cutting waste" We see: firing swaths of archivists across the country without cause, closing entire buildings and archives, making historical research much harder if not impossible, cutting off public records access www.nytimes.com/2025/02/18/u...

Important to #genealogy. Less staff will eventually mean less access.

Just received my first set of military records (607 pages!) thanks to @reclaimtherecords.org work. It's mostly medical records, but does give some info on his time as a POW. I now know he was captured during the Battle of the Bulge and what Stalag's he was held prisoner in. Excited to get more info