What Records Do DHS and CBP Hold on You? (And How to Request Them)

The short version: the Department of Homeland Security and its components — Customs and Border Protection (CBP), TSA, ICE, USCIS, and others — hold some of the most detailed personal records the federal government keeps: your complete border crossing history, airline reservation data (PNR), Global Entry/trusted-traveler files, I-94 arrival records, screening encounters, and immigration files. You have the right to request your own records under FOIA and the Privacy Act. Since January 22, 2026, DHS requires these requests to be submitted electronically — for CBP and most DHS components that means creating an account on the SecureRelease portal; mail, fax, and email are no longer accepted except in limited circumstances (DHS final rule, 90 FR 59945). Requesting is free in most cases.

Here is what each component holds and the exact request path for each record type.

What DHS components actually keep

CBP (Customs and Border Protection):

• Border crossing records — every documented entry (and many exits) at land, air, and sea ports, going back years
• Passenger Name Records (PNR) — reservation data airlines transmit to CBP: itineraries, co-travelers, payment details, contact information
• Trusted traveler files — Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST applications and vetting results
• I-94 arrival/departure records for non-citizens
• Inspection and examination records — notes from secondary inspections, device searches, and encounters at ports of entry

TSA: screening records and redress files (if you have ever been repeatedly flagged, the record of why lives here).

ICE: detention, removal, and enforcement encounter records.

USCIS: your complete immigration history — the A-File — plus applications and petitions.

DHS headquarters: intelligence products and fusion-center reports that reference you, watchlist-adjacent screening records, and DHS TRIP redress case files.

If you have ever crossed a US border, flown internationally, applied for Global Entry, or gone through an immigration process, DHS holds files on you.

The 2026 change: electronic submission only

On December 23, 2025, DHS issued a final rule (effective January 22, 2026) requiring FOIA and Privacy Act requests to be submitted electronically — through FOIA.gov or the relevant DHS component portal (90 FR 59945; FOIA Advisor). Paper, fax, and email requests are out, with narrow exceptions (for example, incarcerated requesters may work through a FOIA public liaison).

For CBP, DHS Headquarters, FEMA, ICE, TSA, Coast Guard, and Secret Service, the designated channel is the SecureRelease portal (dhs.gov/foia-contact-information). USCIS uses its own portal (first.uscis.gov).

How to request your CBP records, step by step

1. Create a SecureRelease account via the links at cbp.gov/site-policy-notices/foia/records.
2. Identify the record type. "All records about me" gets slow, fragmented handling. Ask specifically: border crossing history, PNR data, Global Entry application records, secondary inspection records — each is a known category CBP can route.
3. Prove your identity. For records about yourself you must provide full name, address, date of birth, and either a signed Certification of Identity (Form DOJ-361 equivalent), a declaration under penalty of perjury, or a notarized statement.
4. Submit and save the tracking number. You will receive an acknowledgment; you can track status in the portal.
5. Know the special routes: I-94 records have their own instant lookup on the CBP I-94 site — no FOIA needed. A-Files and immigration petitions go to USCIS, not CBP. Repeated screening problems go through DHS TRIP, which is a redress process, not a records request.

By statute, agencies must respond within 20 business days (5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(A)), though complex requests and DHS backlogs routinely take longer. Your own records under the Privacy Act are typically free; FOIA fees rarely apply to simple first-party requests.

Why request these records at all

Three practical reasons:

1. Accuracy. Border crossing records and screening files feed downstream decisions (trusted traveler eligibility, visa processing). Errors are correctable — but only if you see them.
2. Understanding a pattern. If you keep getting secondary inspection, the inspection records and TSA/DHS TRIP files are where the explanation lives.
3. Knowing your exposure. Government files are outside every commercial "data removal" tool's reach. A CCPA deletion request or a DROP request does not touch a CBP database. Seeing what agencies hold completes the picture that broker scans start.

For the general FOIA process across other agencies — FBI, IRS, and the rest — see our step-by-step FOIA guide.

Frequently asked questions

Can I see my complete travel history?

Mostly, yes. Non-citizens can pull I-94 arrival/departure history instantly at the CBP I-94 website. Citizens and non-citizens alike can FOIA CBP through SecureRelease for border crossing records, which document entries (and many exits) at all ports. Airline reservation data (PNR) is a separate record category — request it explicitly.

How long does a DHS or CBP records request take?

The statutory deadline is 20 business days, but DHS components carry some of the largest FOIA backlogs in government — complex requests can take months. Simple, specific, first-party requests (one record category, clear identity documents) move fastest.

Does it cost anything?

Requesting your own records is free in the typical case. Privacy Act first-party requests generally carry no fees, and FOIA fee waivers or the standard free allotment (2 hours of search, 100 pages) covers most personal requests.

Can I get records DHS holds about me deleted?

Generally no — this is the key difference from data brokers. The Privacy Act allows you to request amendment of inaccurate records, but agencies retain records under federal records schedules. State privacy laws like the CCPA do not apply to federal agencies. What you gain is visibility and the ability to correct errors.

Can a service file these requests for me?

Since the January 22, 2026 DHS rule, DHS and CBP requests must go through their own portals with your own verified account — so budget a one-time account setup if you want these two. Sirveil's FOIA add-on prepares and electronically transmits requests to six federal agencies (FBI, DEA, IRS, DOJ, FTC, CFPB) on your behalf, and its FOIA tab shows DHS and CBP with portal guidance so you can complete those two yourself — it does not submit to DHS or CBP for you.

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Sirveil's FOIA rail prepares and transmits records requests to six federal agencies (FBI, DEA, IRS, DOJ, FTC, CFPB) so you can see what they hold on you — and points you at the official DHS/CBP portals for the two agencies that require their own accounts. The core app scans 200+ data brokers and breach databases; you review and initiate every takedown. On Google Play and the App Store.

Sources cited: DHS final rule, 90 FR 59945 (December 23, 2025, effective January 22, 2026); dhs.gov/foia-contact-information; cbp.gov FOIA records page; 5 U.S.C. § 552; FOIA Advisor (December 2025). Last verified July 2026. This article is general information, not legal advice.