A coalition of legal and transparency advocates filed a federal lawsuit on Monday, accusing the U.S. government of illegally withholding records related to President Trump’s “Gold Card” visa program.
The legal action, brought by the Democracy Defenders Fund (DDF) and the Orlando-based law firm Colombo Hurd, seeks to force several federal departments to hand over documents detailing how this residency-for-purchase initiative was created and who is benefiting from it.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, names the Departments of Homeland Security, State, Commerce, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) as defendants.
At the heart of the dispute is the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), a law designed to ensure the public can monitor government activity. The plaintiffs argue the agencies have blown past statutory deadlines to provide information on a program they describe as a “pay-to-play” scheme.
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The Gold Card program, established via executive order in September 2025, reportedly allows wealthy non-citizens to secure U.S. residency by gifting $1 million to the Department of Commerce. Corporations can reportedly secure similar status for $2 million. According to the lawsuit, President Trump claimed in December 2025 that over $1 billion worth of these visas had already been “sold.”
“Behind closed doors, this administration appears to be trying to turn our immigration system into a bazaar with the privilege of U.S. residency available to the highest bidder,” said Ambassador Norm Eisen (ret.), executive chair of the Democracy Defenders Fund.
The plaintiffs began filing information requests in early 2026. They are seeking internal memos, training materials, and communications involving high-ranking officials like Secretary Howard Lutnick. One specific request even asks for records regarding any communications involving the rapper Nicki Minaj and the program.
Despite the high stakes, the lawsuit alleges the government has offered little more than automated acknowledgments and distant completion dates. The Department of Commerce reportedly told the DDF it would not complete its request until March 2027—more than a year away.
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Attorneys for the plaintiffs argue that the program prioritizes wealth over merit, potentially displacing highly qualified scientists, researchers, and engineers who apply through traditional employment-based channels.
“Immigrant visas are not million-dollar Mar-a-Lago memberships,” said Kevin Bell, co-founder of the Free Information Group, which is cooperating in the litigation. “People may lie, records don’t.”
The lawsuit asks a federal judge to declare the agencies in violation of FOIA and to order the immediate release of all non-exempt records. As of Monday afternoon, the federal agencies named in the suit had not released a formal response to the filing.
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