Contact: Jill Farrell, Judicial Watch, 202-646-5188

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2014 /Standard Newswire/ -- Judicial Watch announced today that on September 4, 2014, it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seeking "all records" concerning a February 25-27 Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Field Office Juvenile Coordination meeting (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (No. 1:14-cv-01509)).

ERO is the division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that, according to the government website, has the responsibility, "To identify, arrest, and remove aliens who present a danger to national security or are a risk to public safety, as well as those who enter the United States illegally …." Juvenile Coordinators have the responsibility for enforcing ERO directives nationwide with regard to Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC).

The lawsuit, filed after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) failed to respond to a July 1, 2014, FOIA request, seeks the following:

Any and all records of the Enforcement & Removal Operations (ERO) Field Office Juvenile Coordination Meeting in Washington, DC on 25-27 February 2014, to include, but not limited to: schedule, participants, training materials, PowerPoint presentations, handouts, policies, etc.

Shortly after the February ERO Field Office Juvenile Coordination Washington meeting, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), in March 2014, issued a National Center for Border Security and Immigration "Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) Report" revealing that ICE and ERO agents were then blaming the "lack of deterrence" for an increase in UAC border crossings. According to the report:

Both Border Patrol and ICE ERO officers agreed that the lack of deterrence for crossing the US-Mexican border has impacted the rate at which they apprehend UACs. Officers are certain that UACs are aware of the relative lack of consequences they will receive when apprehended at the U.S. border. UTEP was informed that smugglers of family members of UACs understand that once a UAC is apprehended for illegal entry into the United States, the individual will be re-united with a U.S. based family member pending the disposition of the immigration hearing. This process appears to be exploited by illegal alien smugglers and family members in the United States who wish to reunite with separated children.

On January 29, 2014, immediately preceding the Washington ERO Field Office Juvenile Coordination February meeting, ICE posted “Request for Information (RFI)/Sources Sought: Escort Services for Unaccompanied Alien Children” seeking a contractor to provide the following services:

The Contractor shall provide unarmed escort staff, including management, supervision, manpower, training, certifications, licenses, drug testing, equipment, and supplies necessary to provide on-demand escort services for non-criminal/non-delinquent unaccompanied alien children ages infant to 17 years of age, seven (7) days a week, 365 days a year. Transport will be required for either category of UAC or individual juveniles, to include both male and female juveniles. There will be approximately 65,000 UAC in total: 25% local ground transport, 25% via ICE charter and 50% via commercial air. [Emphasis added]

On October 16, 2014, Judicial Watch filed a separate FOIA lawsuit against DHS seeking "any and all records" relating to the ICE RFI.

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