Civil Rights Cold Files Unlocked: 857 Pages of History Spill
Published Date: 5/6/2025
Notice
Summary
The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board decided which parts of 857 pages of old case files can be shared with the public and which parts need to stay secret a bit longer. This affects records from the National Archives, DOJ, and FBI, with some info set to be released by April 23, 2025. No money changes here, just a big step toward opening up important civil rights history!
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Release of Cold Case Records
On April 23, 2025, the Review Board determined that 648 pages in full and 209 pages in part from 857 pages of records related to two civil rights cold cases will be publicly disclosed in the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection. These records came from NARA, the Department of Justice, and the FBI and will be available to the public as described in the Board's notice.
Postponement of Some Records
The Review Board approved 489 postponements and portions of 28 additional postponements of disclosure on April 23, 2025, out of 1,422 postponements proposed by the DOJ and FBI (97 proposed postponements had been withdrawn). That means parts of these case files will remain restricted from public release for a longer period.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
Related Federal Register Documents
2026-03814, Notice of Formal Determination on Records Release
The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board decided to release 1,300 pages of important records about four civil rights cold cases. This means the public can now access these documents, with no delays or extra costs. The decision was made on February 20, 2026, and announced quickly to keep things transparent and timely.
2026-16055, Notice of Formal Determination on Records Release
The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board previously reviewed and made formal disclosure determinations on records related to civil rights cold case incident 2023-002-007 in which the Department of Justice (DOJ) proposed postponements. DOJ later proposed 2 additional postponements. On August 4, 2026, the Review Board decided on these postponements and revised its decision on one previously proposed postponement. It determined that 24 pages in full and 10 pages in part should be publicly disclosed in the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection. By issuing this notice, the Review Board complies with the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018 that requires the Review Board to publish in the Federal Register its determinations on the disclosure or postponement of records in the Collection no more than 14 days after the date of its decision.
2026-14246, Notice of Formal Determination on Records Release
The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board reviewed 451 pages of records about two civil rights cases and decided to release 88 pages to the public while postponing most others. They’ve asked the Attorney General to help unseal some secret grand jury info. This update affects anyone interested in these historic cases and follows a legal deadline to share their decision within two weeks.
2026-13274, Notice of Formal Determination on Records Release
The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board decided to release most of the records from two important civil rights cases, sharing 3,775 pages fully and 32 pages partially with the public. They approved 519 requests to delay releasing some sensitive info, including sealed grand jury details, but asked the Attorney General to try to unseal those. This update affects anyone interested in civil rights history and happens right after their June 26, 2026 decision.
2026-11397, Notice of Formal Determination on Records Release
The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board reviewed over 14,000 pages of records about two important civil rights cases. They decided to release nearly 13,000 pages to the public while postponing some sensitive info, including sealed grand jury details. This means more history is opening up soon, with the Attorney General asked to help unseal key parts—no extra costs or delays expected beyond the usual legal steps.
2026-09367, Notice of Formal Determination on Records Release
The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board reviewed over 7,600 pages of records about two important civil rights cases. They decided to release most of the documents to the public but postponed some sensitive info, including sealed grand jury details. This means more history will be shared soon, with some parts still under wraps while legal steps to unseal them are underway.
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