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Two years ago this week, Donald Trump announced his candidacy for president and declared what would become a signature campaign promise: that he would “build a great wall” on the U.S.-Mexico border.

A non-partisan ethics watchdog group is marking that anniversary with a lawsuit against multiple federal agencies seeking details about the proposed border wall.

American Oversight’s lawsuit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, accuses the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protections, the Department of Interior and Office of Management and Budget of not responding to a dozen of its requests for information under the federal Freedom of Information Act. 

“Two years after Donald Trump first announced that he was going to build a big, beautiful wall on the southern border from sea to shining sea, we still know next to nothing about that project, even though the administration is barreling ahead and making it a reality,” said Austin Evers, executive director of American Oversight.

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‘Know next to nothing’

The group began seeking information about the wall in March, starting with a project called Audit the Wall. The FOIA requests seek communication, documents and plans  were filed on March 21.

Evers said his organization wants as much information as possible to ensure that American taxpayers aren’t stuck with a multibillion-dollar boondoggle. 

The group’s requests cover a range of unanswered questions including how it will affect the environment, what it will cost and if there are plans to seize land for the wall. 

Three of the requests are related to the Tohono O’odham Nation and how the border will impact tribal members’ lives and whether DHS and Bureau of Land Management are hearing the nation’s concerns. 

“At the end of the day, it is states like Arizona that are really going to have to raise the objection,” Evers said. “(Arizonans) are the ones who are going to feel the tangible impacts of policy mistakes.”

American Oversight plans to request from agencies additional information on meetings and contracts related to the wall.

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What happens next?

The government has about a month to respond to the lawsuit. Then American Oversight will engage in negotiations for a production schedule for documents, which is overseen by an independent judge. 

Avers said his organization hopes to see the documents soon.

Click here to read the FOIA requests. 

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