Congressman Joaquin Castro is joining the call for the release of information into the government’s surveillance of Latino civil rights leaders like Cesar Chavez.

Castro joined California Congressman Jimmy Gomez in sending a letter to the FBI and the CIA asking them to declassify and release any documents related to the surveillance of these leaders.

Both agencies committed to look into the request during a recent hearing of the House Permanent Select Committee on intelligence.

Castro told Channel 5 News the history of surveillance into other groups is well known, but not for the Latino civil rights movement.

“The CIA and the FBI in the 50's, 60's, 70's had these domestic spying programs that were spying on Americans and spying on American civil rights organizations, including Latino organizations, so I expect that we'll get something back,” Castro said.

Castro said declassifying this information would not only allow for transparency, it would also help improve historical records. 

“We have an incomplete historical record about how our civil rights organizations were monitored and may have been harassed by the United States government and how their goals were impeded because of that, “Castro said. “We want to make sure we have a complete record so it doesn't happen again, so that the intelligences don't make the mistakes from the past."

Castro says he hopes to get a response from the CIA and the FBI soon.