Democracy Forward filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of State, asking the court to compel them to comply with public records laws and reveal documents regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in government activity.
Public reports suggest the Trump-Vance administration is deploying AI tools to execute controversial directives, including flagging visa holders based on their social media posts, identifying federal workers for termination, and proposing mass regulatory repeals. As early as March 2025, Democracy Forward submitted FOIA requests seeking documents that would shed light on how AI is being used to eliminate government jobs, surveil employees and visa holders, and rewrite or repeal federal regulations. The departments have failed to comply with the law and produce any of these requested records.
This lawsuit seeks records on:
- HUD’s use of AI to propose regulatory repeals under the Department of Government Efficiency initiative;
- State’s deployment of AI to surveil and potentially penalize international student visa holders for engaging in protests or free expression; and
- The use of AI across both agencies to assess federal workers for termination or political alignment.
Timeline
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Complaint was filed.
