Genealogy Program Regulations To Clarify the Impact of Federal Records Requirements
Key claim: DHS is proposing to update its genealogy-program rules so people asking for historical immigration files can more clearly see which records they are allowed to request under federal records laws.
Abstract
(Proposed Rule · Homeland Security Department) The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposes to amend its regulation governing genealogy program related records requests to revise its genealogy program regulations to clarify the impact of statutory and regulatory federal records requirements. This is necessary for individuals who request immigration records through the agency’s genealogy program to better understand which records may be requested.
Why this matters
The DHS genealogy program is the main channel for descendants, researchers, and historians to access older immigration files (such as A-Files, visa files, and naturalization certificate files) that fall outside routine FOIA workflows. Clarifying which records are requestable under federal records laws affects turnaround expectations and predictability for family-history and legal-heritage research, though it does not change substantive immigration rights.