The Department of Homeland Security has claimed four times within 48 hours that it had "no documents" in response to Freedom of the Press Foundation's records requests. These responses, which include a request for all emails sent or received by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem containing the terms "CNN" and "ICEBlock", raise serious questions about whether the agency is saving its documents anymore, much less creating them.
The DHS claims that it couldn't find any records of an attempt to intimidate the press from reporting on ICEBlock. However, DHS Secretary Noem publicly stated in summer 2025 that she was in communication with Attorney General Pam Bondi about prosecuting CNN for reporting on ICEBlock. It's difficult to see how Noem could have worked with Bondi without mentioning them by name.
The lack of transparency and compliance with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) raises serious concerns about governance within DHS. The agency's response to FOIA requests has been inconsistent, with some claims of "no records" despite the fact that the information may already be publicly available or have been intentionally withheld.
DHS also claimed it had no records of its Chicago immigration enforcement operation, despite a court order requiring ICE agents to wear body cameras during their operations. The agency's response to this request is particularly concerning, as it raises questions about whether ICE is complying with its own policies and the law.
The Trump administration's approach to FOIA has been marred by years of recalcitrance and a lack of transparency. Democratic and Republican administrations have meddled with FOIA releases to prevent disclosures of embarrassing or potentially illegal activities. The current administration has taken this behavior to new heights, using its powers to dismantle the free press and create a post-truth America.
In contrast, organizations like The Intercept are fighting back against these efforts. To do so effectively, we need to grow our reporting capacity. That's where you come in. Will you help us expand our reporting capacity in time to hit the ground running in 2026?
The DHS claims that it couldn't find any records of an attempt to intimidate the press from reporting on ICEBlock. However, DHS Secretary Noem publicly stated in summer 2025 that she was in communication with Attorney General Pam Bondi about prosecuting CNN for reporting on ICEBlock. It's difficult to see how Noem could have worked with Bondi without mentioning them by name.
The lack of transparency and compliance with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) raises serious concerns about governance within DHS. The agency's response to FOIA requests has been inconsistent, with some claims of "no records" despite the fact that the information may already be publicly available or have been intentionally withheld.
DHS also claimed it had no records of its Chicago immigration enforcement operation, despite a court order requiring ICE agents to wear body cameras during their operations. The agency's response to this request is particularly concerning, as it raises questions about whether ICE is complying with its own policies and the law.
The Trump administration's approach to FOIA has been marred by years of recalcitrance and a lack of transparency. Democratic and Republican administrations have meddled with FOIA releases to prevent disclosures of embarrassing or potentially illegal activities. The current administration has taken this behavior to new heights, using its powers to dismantle the free press and create a post-truth America.
In contrast, organizations like The Intercept are fighting back against these efforts. To do so effectively, we need to grow our reporting capacity. That's where you come in. Will you help us expand our reporting capacity in time to hit the ground running in 2026?
This is a massive problem that goes beyond just DHS and FOIA... it's about the erosion of trust between the government and the people 
The fact that they're claiming "no documents" when we know they've been in contact with other officials who are also trying to stifle reporting is just mind-blowing 
And what's even more concerning is that this behavior isn't new... it's a pattern of recalcitrance and lack of transparency that started years ago 
We need to hold these agencies accountable for their actions, but we also need to recognize the bigger picture here - the manipulation of facts and the silencing of dissenting voices 
DHS is just trying to cover its own tracks and hide all the shady stuff it's doing with ICEBlock. I mean come on, they're claiming no records when we know for a fact that Noem was in touch with Bondi about prosecuting CNN. It's like they think we're stupid 
And don't even get me started on the FOIA requests being inconsistent... it's just another example of them trying to sweep their mistakes under the rug 
I swear, this administration is all about politics and transparency... NOT 
... DHS is literally saying they have no records when it's pretty clear they're hiding something. I mean, come on, Secretary Noem mentions CNN and Pam Bondi by name, that's not a vague claim. And what about the court order requiring ICE agents to wear body cameras? They're just stonewalling the press again 
... someone needs to keep an eye on these folks 
DHS is basically playing a game of "I didn't do it" and it's SO not believable 
& I'm not buying the whole "no records" thing either 
this is like, total transparency fail 
Like, if they really had nothing, wouldn't it be easy for them to just say so from the start? And btw, how can Noem claim she was talking to Bondi without mentioning her by name? Sounds fishy to me 
. I'm kinda worried about ICE's body cameras too - what's going on behind the scenes there? Shouldn't we be more transparent with our law enforcement agencies? 
The lack of transparency and compliance with FOIA requests from DHS is a major concern, it seems like they're more interested in hiding information than serving the public interest. We need more accountability and scrutiny on these actions to ensure that our government is truly of the people, by the people, and for the people. 
. but on a positive note, organizations like The Intercept are fighting back and i love that they're calling us out to help expand their reporting capacity 
they're basically saying no documents exist but we know that's not true 
. We need more organizations like The Intercept fighting for transparency and holding these agencies accountable 
. And what's with all these weird claims of "no documents"? Are they really that incompetent? 
. Both parties have been playing dirty with it, and now we're paying the price. We need more reporting capacity ASAP 
so we can hold these agencies accountable! Can't wait for 2026!
this is wild 
. its like, cant they just be honest for once? 
, especially when it comes to government agencies. and yeah, the Trump admin set a bad precedent with FOIA, but this is just plain crazy 
. On a more serious note, it's pretty alarming that DHS is making these shady claims about not having records on their communication with Attorney General Pam Bondi and the public statements from Secretary Noem. I mean, how can she claim to be in contact with her without mentioning their names? That's some shady stuff.
I mean I know they have a lot of power and stuff, but can't they just give us the info we ask for? And what's up with all these court orders and FOIA requests? Can someone explain this to me like I'm 5? 
Anyway, back to this DHS stuff... it seems really suspicious. If they're not saving their documents and are just making up excuses, what's the point of even having a FOIA? 
. And what's worse is that this behavior is just perpetuating this whole post-truth America thing, where facts don't matter and journalism is under attack 
. Those FOIA requests are like fishing for info, you know? They're just trying to get some answers, not start a witch hunt 
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