Celebrating Our 235th Anniversary

235 years ago, George Washington signed the Judiciary Act which defined the U.S. Marshals as officers of the court and charged them with aiding federal courts in their law enforcement functions.

Just days after signing the act into law, President Washington then appointed the very first 13 U.S. Marshals, one for each federal district or territory.

Today, more than two centuries later, 94 Marshals and their numerous deputies are responsible for locating and arresting federal suspects, handling the administration of fugitive operations and managing criminal assets across states, territories and tribal lands. 

As we look back on 235 years of U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), let us remember the ways in which this agency has served our country and the history it has made.

The U.S. Marshals Service has continually protected our federal judges alongside American citizens while simultaneously carrying out the law to benefit all.  

One of the earlier historical examples in which the U.S. Marshals Service was able to accomplish their many missions occurred during the Civil War.

U.S. Marshals supported the Union home front by rooting out Confederate spies and seizing property being used to support the Confederacy. Their work ensured the formation of a more perfect union.

In 1875, Bass Reeves was assigned the position of Deputy U.S. Marshal, one of the first African Americans to serve in this capacity. He served for 32 years, until 1907, in dangerous Indian Territory. Reeves’ bravery allowed him to bring justice to some of the most ruthless outlaws in the West. Through his service, he not only made the American West a safer place but created opportunities for more people of color to serve our country.

In 1887, a new trailblazer came onto the scene. Phoebe Couzins, the first female U.S. Marshal, was temporarily appointed to the position after the death of her father, U.S. Marshal John Couzins. Marshal Phoebe Couzins accomplished what no other woman had done before and created the initial opportunities for operational female employees with the USMS for decades to come. 

The work for equal opportunity did not end there. Deputy U.S. Marshals were asked to enforce the integration of educational institutions, including those in New Orleans, Boston and Oxford, MS. Deputies escorted students into their respective schools, provided protective details and enforced integrated bus routes despite heavy opposition.

USMS involvement in upholding federal rulings for the integration of educational institutions allowed our nation to move towards a more egalitarian nation with equal opportunities, regardless of one’s race.

The USMS continued their protective mission in 1971, as the Witness Security Program was established as a divisional program within the Marshals Service. This Program has protected thousands of American witnesses and victims along with their immediate families as they in turn assisted the American legal system in the cases of drug traffickers, terrorists, organized crime members and other major criminals. 

Not only has the USMS protected members of discriminated communities and provided opportunities for minorities, but most importantly, it has also worked to apprehend fugitives threatening American safety.

In 2005, Operation FALCON (Federal and Local Cops Organized Nationally) began, and through its implementation, Deputies and their law enforcement partners conducted national fugitive operations to apprehend felons. By its close in 2009, FALCON had completed 91,086 arrests and cleared 117,874 warrants. 

On July 27, 2006, Congress authorized the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act which provided the USMS three principle responsibilities under the law including: assisting state, local, tribal and territorial authorities in locating and apprehending non-compliant and fugitive sex offenders; investigating violations of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act for federal prosecution; and assisting in the identification and location of sex offenders relocated as a result of a major disaster. The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act has allowed for the protection of the most vulnerable members of American society and granted them the justice they deserve. 

The U.S. Marshals Service continues to prioritize the safety of minors. This year alone, the USMS recovered over 200 missing children across the country during Operation “We Will Find You” as an effort to bring displaced minors to safety.

Looking back on 235 years of operation, the USMS has continued to uphold its original intended purpose of protecting the U.S. Federal Judiciary. In addition, the role of the USMS has expanded to include: locating and arresting federal escapees, administrating fugitive operations, managing criminal assets, operating the United States Federal Witness Protection Program and the Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System (JPATS) and protecting senior government officials through the Office of Protective Operations. 

Because of the United States Marshals Service, people in America and its territories and tribal lands have lived in a safer nation for the past 235 years.