Dear Miriam, Kirsten and Karen,

We know that this may sound like a strange request, but we would very much appreciate if you could confirm a couple of basics regarding OGIS's involvement in TRAC's May 17, 2010 FOIA request for anonymous individual-by-individual data covering all immigration apprehensions, detentions, charging, and deportations since October 1, 2004.

1) We had always understood that TRAC first approached OGIS requesting assistance on this matter, rather than vice-versa. Our email exchanges with OGIS back in November 2010 sure read that way to us. Are we mistaken? We don't recall you ever mentioning that ICE reached out to OGIS for assistance in mediating this matter before TRAC approached you. But just wanted to confirm our understanding was correct.

2) We are also unaware of any occasion where David or I (or anyone else from TRAC) was unwilling to discuss with ICE officials or ICE statisticians the agency's data tracking protocols and systems? Our recollection was that this was quite the reverse and ICE kept rebuffing our requests for such discussions during the course of OGIS's involvement, and in general did not want to speak with TRAC directly about these specific matters or the processing of our request more generally. Indeed, in our email exchanges with OGIS, OGIS repeatedly told us that it was ICE's continuing request that we not talk with ICE directly but only through OGIS. Correct?

Hope you all had a nice holiday over Christmas and New Years.

Thanks, Sue and David