FOIA Response for Guidance Related to Sworn Statements at Local USCIS Field Offices
On November 1, 2016, AILA's USCIS Field Operations Liaison Committee met with the USCIS Field Operations Directorate (FOD). As a part of the agenda, the committee raised reports that AILA members were receiving conflicting guidance on obtaining a copy of sworn statements given by clients during benefits interviews. Although USCIS provided a response confirming the existence of guidance that instructs officers to provide a copy of the sworn statement upon request, a copy of this guidance was not available. As such, the committee submitted a FOIA request to the USCIS requesting a copy of USCIS guidance for instructing officers to provide copies of the sworn statements taken over the course of an interview when requested by an applicant or legal representative.
In response to the request, on December 4, 2017, USCIS provided a portion of the USCIS Policy Manual, Part E, previously unavailable to the public. The four pages included below show USCIS guidance for taking and providing copies of sworn statements at benefits interviews at local USCIS offices. The committee recommends that members reference this guidance if any problems arise when requesting a copy of a sworn statement.