U.S. Marshals Service

U.S. federal executive branch agency

Background

The USMS traces its origins to the Judiciary Act of September 24, 1789, signed by President George Washington, making it the nation's oldest federal law enforcement agency. For most of its first 180 years it operated as a loose network of presidentially appointed district marshals with no central headquarters. In 1969 it was reorganized into a formal, centralized agency under the Department of Justice. Its core statutory duties include protecting federal judges and courthouses, apprehending federal fugitives, transporting federal prisoners, managing the Witness Security Program (WITSEC), and seizing and managing assets forfeited in federal cases. A major ransomware attack in February 2023 compromised sensitive agency data. President Trump nominated Gadyaces S. Serralta as director in March 2025; Serralta was confirmed by the Senate and sworn in on August 1, 2025. Under the second Trump administration, the USMS has been deployed to support the administration's takeover of Washington, D.C. policing functions and immigration enforcement operations — at an identified cost of more than $18 million — drawing scrutiny from watchdog group CREW and prompting Democratic lawmakers to introduce legislation that would transfer USMS oversight from the executive branch to the federal judiciary. Critics argue these deployments have strained court-security staffing even as threats against federal judges have risen sharply.

Sources

1. United States Marshals Service — Wikipedia
2. Gadyaces S. Serralta Sworn In as U.S. Marshals Service Director
3. U.S. Marshals Service records show $18M in costs supporting Trump's DC takeover — CREW
4. Trump's politicization of the U.S. Marshals Service is a threat to our democracy — CREW
5. Democrats move to wall off Trump admin from Marshals Service amid threats to judges — Courthouse News
6. US Marshals Deployments Strain Court Resources as Threats Rise — Bloomberg Law
7. United States Marshals Service — U.S. Government Manual
8. U.S. Marshals Service FY 2027 Budget Request

Profile compiled 2026-09-10; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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