U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528

Homeland
Security
Privacy Office, Mail Stop 0655

December 6, 2017
SENT VIA EMAIL: foia@americanoversight.org
Sara Creighton
American Oversight
1030 15th St. NW, Suite B255
Washington, DC 20005
Re: 2018-HQFO-00164
Dear Ms. Creighton:
This is the electronic final response to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS), dated November 1, 2017, and received by this office
on November 2, 2017. You are seeking from January 20, 2017 through the date search is
conducted: 1) All records reflecting any actual or projected expenditures for renovations
(including remodeling or changes to decor) of any part of the office suites (including foyers,
waiting rooms, conference rooms, adjacent hallways, or other common areas) for any individuals
in, or acting in, Senate-confirmed (PAS) positions at your agency; and 2) All communications
relating to actual or potential renovations (including remodeling or changes to decor) of any part
of the office suites (including foyers, waiting rooms, conference rooms, adjacent hallways, or
other common areas) for any individuals in, or acting in, Senate-confirmed (PAS) positions at
your agency.
We conducted a comprehensive search of files within the Office of the Chief Financial Officer
(CFO) for records that would be responsive to your request for offices located at the HQ level.
Unfortunately, we were unable to locate or identify any responsive records.
While an adequate search was conducted, you have the right to appeal this determination that no
records exist within the CFO that would be responsive to your request. Should you wish to do
so, you must send your appeal and a copy of this letter, within 90 days of the date of this letter,
to: Privacy Office, Attn: FOIA Appeals, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 245 Murray
Lane, SW, Mail Stop 0655, Washington, D.C. 20528-0655, following the procedures outlined in
the DHS FOIA regulations at 6 C.F.R. Part 5 § 5.8. Your envelope and letter should be marked
“FOIA Appeal.” Copies of the FOIA and DHS FOIA regulations are available at
www.dhs.gov/foia.

 As our response only covers HQ level offices, if you are interested in this information from the
components please submit your request to them directly. Their contact information can be
located at: https://www.dhs.gov/foia-contact-information
If you need any further assistance or would like to discuss any aspect of your request, please
contact the analyst below who processed your request and refer to 2018-HQFO-00164.
You may send an e-mail to foia@hq.dhs.gov, call 202-343-1743 or toll free 1-866-431-0486, or
you may contact our FOIA Public Liaison in the same manner. Additionally, you have a right to
right to seek dispute resolution services from the Office of Government Information Services
(OGIS) which mediates disputes between FOIA requesters and Federal agencies as a nonexclusive alternative to litigation. If you are requesting access to your own records (which is
considered a Privacy Act request), you should know that OGIS does not have the authority to
handle requests made under the Privacy Act of 1974. You may contact OGIS as follows: Office
of Government Information Services, National Archives and Records Administration, 8601
Adelphi Road-OGIS, College Park, Maryland 20740-6001, e-mail at ogis@nara.gov; telephone
at 202-741-5770; toll free at 1-877-684-6448; or facsimile at 202-741-5769.
Provisions of FOIA allow DHS to charge for processing fees, up to $25, unless you seek a
waiver of fees. In this instance, because the cost is below the $25 minimum, there is no charge.

Sincerely,
/s/

Maura Busch
FOIA Program Specialist