U.S. Marshals Service USMS

The Judiciary Act of 1789 created a United States Marshal for each federal judicial district, making the marshals the first federal law enforcement officers. For most of American history they served as the enforcement arm of the federal courts and the government's police force on the frontier, carrying out everything from taking the census to enforcing court-ordered school desegregation in the 1960s. The Marshals Service was organized as a Justice Department agency in 1969 and given bureau status in 1974.

Today there are ninety-four U.S. Marshals, one per judicial district, each appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, overseeing several thousand deputy marshals. The service protects federal judges, prosecutors, and courthouses, a mission that has grown as threats against judges have risen sharply. It is the government's lead agency for capturing fugitives, runs regional task forces with state and local police, and operates the Witness Security Program, which has relocated thousands of witnesses since 1971.

The Marshals also house and transport federal prisoners awaiting trial, operating an air fleet nicknamed Con Air, and manage and sell assets seized from criminals. Because judicial security is provided by an agency within the executive branch, some judges and members of Congress have proposed giving the judiciary direct control over its own protection, a debate that intensified in 2025 amid clashes between the administration and federal courts.