Public Citizen v. U.S. Customs and Border Protection

In June 2025, Public Citizen submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), seeking records concerning CBP’s communications related to labor conditions and migrant labor in the Dominican Republic sugar industry, including records concerning the agency’s 2022 Withhold Release Order against Central Romana Corporation and CBP’s March 2025 decision rescinding that order.

CBP initially rejected the request on the erroneous ground that Public Citizen lacked third-party authorization, but it acknowledged that error after Public Citizen filed an administrative appeal. Nonetheless, CBP continued to withhold all responsive records, asserting that some were exempt from disclosure and refusing to confirm or deny the existence of others. Public Citizen then filed suit seeking disclosure of the requested records.