FIRST: Freedom of Information Request Processing Records

The Department of Homeland Security's Freedom of Information Record System (FIRST) supports the processing of FOIA/PA requests from the public. It is used to scan documents, create and manage cases, transfer requests, process payments, and generate correspondence. The system is maintained by the National Records Center and was last updated on March 22, III.

Use Cases

• Analyze FOIA request processing timelines based on case management features mentioned in the description
• Model request transfer patterns between government agencies based on system workflow
• Study document redaction and disclosure processes for records management
• Generate automated correspondence templates based on standard letter creation features

Strengths

• Managed by the authoritative Department of Homeland Security
• Describes a complete workflow for FOIA/PA request processing
• Last updated date is explicitly provided: 2026-03-22 11:51:40.604058

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data may reflect procedural bias inherent to a single government agency's system

Provenance

Source

Department of Homeland Security

Collection Method

System of record for processing FOIA/PA requests, likely operational data

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-22 11:51:40.604058

Geography

United States (implied from USCIS and DHS jurisdiction)