Department of Homeland Security
Annual backlog, FY2008–FY2025
Pending requests at end of each fiscal year (Oct 1, 2007 – Sept 30, 2025). Federal fiscal year runs Oct 1 – Sept 30, named for the year it ends.
Dashed verticals mark presidential inaugurations.
Recent quarterly activity
Last 18 quarters of received, processed, and backlog. Most recent: FY2025 Q3 (Apr 1 – Jun 30, 2025).
10 oldest pending requests, end of FY2025 (Sept 30, 2025)
Agencies report days pending in working days, counted from the day the request was received; the years column converts to calendar years. The longer this list runs, the more litigation-ripe the agency’s backlog.
| Rank | Date received | Working days pending | Years pending |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 2017-03-20 | 2,137 | 8.5 |
| #2 | 2017-03-27 | 2,132 | 8.5 |
| #3 | 2017-10-19 | 1,988 | 7.9 |
| #4 | 2017-10-28 | 1,982 | 7.9 |
| #5 | 2017-11-01 | 1,978 | 7.9 |
| #6 | 2018-01-03 | 1,938 | 7.7 |
| #7 | 2018-01-08 | 1,934 | 7.7 |
| #8 | 2018-01-11 | 1,932 | 7.7 |
| #9 | 2018-01-16 | 1,930 | 7.7 |
| #10 | 2018-01-22 | 1,926 | 7.7 |
Exemption invocations, FY2025 (Oct 1, 2024 – Sept 30, 2025)
How often each FOIA exemption (b1–b9) was invoked when redacting or denying records. Exemption 5 (deliberative process, attorney-client) is highlighted — it’s the most-fought exemption in FOIA litigation.
FOIA staffing, FY2025 (Oct 1, 2024 – Sept 30, 2025)
Annual report history
| FY | Received | Processed | Pending end |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | 1,019,496 | 994,992 | 245,572 |
| FY2024 | 911,535 | 894,939 | 220,129 |
| FY2023 | 674,856 | 580,205 | 199,085 |
| FY2022 | 539,807 | 506,036 | 101,833 |
| FY2021 | 442,650 | 467,347 | 58,897 |
| FY2020 | 397,671 | 392,623 | 68,422 |
| FY2019 | 400,245 | 429,798 | 58,680 |
| FY2018 | 395,751 | 374,945 | 83,774 |
| FY2017 | 366,036 | 367,545 | 62,819 |
| FY2016 | 325,780 | 310,549 | 64,374 |
| FY2015 | 281,138 | 348,878 | 49,294 |
| FY2014 | 291,242 | 238,031 | 120,308 |
| FY2013 | 231,534 | 204,332 | 65,676 |
| FY2012 | 190,589 | 205,895 | 35,837 |
| FY2011 | 175,656 | 145,631 | 48,493 |
| FY2010 | 130,098 | 138,651 | 18,635 |
| FY2009 | 103,093 | 160,007 | 27,182 |
| FY2008 | 108,952 | 109,028 | 83,743 |
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