OBIM Biometric Records (FOIA)

What OBIM keeps

The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Biometric Identity Management (OBIM) runs the system that stores the biometrics — fingerprints and photographs — collected by the department’s agencies: CBP at ports of entry and the Border Patrol, ICE at arrests and detentions, and USCIS at biometrics appointments. Alongside the fingerprints it keeps details such as the name and date given at each encounter.

Who needs them

These records mostly help people whose fingerprints were taken at the border or in a detention and who don’t know how many encounters were recorded, or who may have given another name or date at some point. Others request them because they aren’t sure whether an old encounter was ever recorded at all. Because fingerprints link all of those encounters, the OBIM record can show dates and places that you then request in detail from CBP or ICE.

How to request them

Since January 22, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security no longer accepts requests by mail or email. Requests to OBIM are filed online by creating an account on the SecureRelease portal (or through FOIA.gov). For your own records you must verify your identity with a signed certification or a statement that’s notarized or signed under penalty of perjury; for someone else’s records, OBIM has a declaration form signed by that person. OBIM has used fingerprint cards sent with requests to locate records; before submitting, we’ll tell you whether including them makes sense in your case.

Requesting your own records usually costs nothing, although the department changed some fees on September 1, 2026. Response times vary and can take months.

Why request them before a new case

Encounters left out of an application, even if forgotten, can look like an attempt to hide information. Knowing them ahead of time lets you request the details and answer accurately.