Browse Arkansas Code titles and sections
6 U.S.C. § 279 — Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) In general** Within the Department, there shall be a position of Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (in this section referred to as the “Ombudsman”). The Ombudsman shall report directly to the Deputy Secretary. The Ombudsman shall have a background in customer service as well as immigration law.
**(b) Functions** It shall be the function of the Ombudsman—
(1) to assist individuals and employers in resolving problems with the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services;
(2) to identify areas in which individuals and employers have problems in dealing with the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services; and
(3) to the extent possible, to propose changes in the administrative practices of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services to mitigate problems identified under paragraph (2).
**(c) Annual reports**
(1) **Objectives** — Not later than June 30 of each calendar year, the Ombudsman shall report to the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Senate on the objectives of the Office of the Ombudsman for the fiscal year beginning in such calendar year. Any such report shall contain full and substantive analysis, in addition to statistical information, and—
(A) shall identify the recommendations the Office of the Ombudsman has made on improving services and responsiveness of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services;
(B) shall contain a summary of the most pervasive and serious problems encountered by individuals and employers, including a description of the nature of such problems;
(C) shall contain an inventory of the items described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) for which action has been taken and the result of such action;
(D) shall contain an inventory of the items described in subparag
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 6 U.S.C. § 279
Stored review status: release_metadata_unconfirmed. A text match is a research starting point; applicability is not established.
Original supplied file — preserved unchanged
Download original Markdown file
File SHA-256: 9b7a71d330d95d37cd71afbf3c31f3bac760aa2c320b5329eb0ff7035bfc93ae. The original may include catalog metadata, neighboring provisions, or embedded records outside this collection's scope. Search shows only the selected federal record. Historical editions and unverified snapshots are not a statement of current law.
Authority boundary: historical or unconfirmed source not current law verified.
Open the recorded source website ↗
Record provenance
Stable record: federal_law:legal_authorities:record_usc_1a81bced70fe3fe0812d41fd
Source file: Laws/federal/codes/united-states-code/title-6/section-279-citizenship-and-immigration-services-ombudsman--a31f486f8f.md
Pages: Not recorded – Not recorded
Passage SHA-256: 5ce081f2dfbe54a159f25b225694d028d421c14c9b27dc64c3324d69e34b19b1
Source location: Title 6, Chapter 1, § 279; chapter-001-homeland-security-organization.md
Stored source content
**(a) In general** Within the Department, there shall be a position of Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (in this section referred to as the “Ombudsman”). The Ombudsman shall report directly to the Deputy Secretary. The Ombudsman shall have a background in customer service as well as immigration law.
**(b) Functions** It shall be the function of the Ombudsman—
(1) to assist individuals and employers in resolving problems with the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services;
(2) to identify areas in which individuals and employers have problems in dealing with the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services; and
(3) to the extent possible, to propose changes in the administrative practices of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services to mitigate problems identified under paragraph (2).
**(c) Annual reports**
(1) **Objectives** — Not later than June 30 of each calendar year, the Ombudsman shall report to the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Senate on the objectives of the Office of the Ombudsman for the fiscal year beginning in such calendar year. Any such report shall contain full and substantive analysis, in addition to statistical information, and—
(A) shall identify the recommendations the Office of the Ombudsman has made on improving services and responsiveness of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services;
(B) shall contain a summary of the most pervasive and serious problems encountered by individuals and employers, including a description of the nature of such problems;
(C) shall contain an inventory of the items described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) for which action has been taken and the result of such action;
(D) shall contain an inventory of the items described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) for which action remains to be completed and the period during which each item has remained on such inventory;
(E) shall contain an inventory of the items described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) for which no action has been taken, the period during which each item has remained on such inventory, the reasons for the inaction, and shall identify any official of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services who is responsible for such inaction;
(F) shall contain recommendations for such administrative action as may be appropriate to resolve problems encountered by individuals and employers, including problems created by excessive backlogs in the adjudication and processing of immigration benefit petitions and applications; and
(G) shall include such other information as the Ombudsman may deem advisable.
(2) **Report to be submitted directly** — Each report required under this subsection shall be provided directly to the committees described in paragraph (1) without any prior comment or amendment from the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Director of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, or any other officer or employee of the Department or the Office of Management and Budget.
**(d) Other responsibilities** The Ombudsman—
(1) shall monitor the coverage and geographic allocation of local offices of the Ombudsman;
(2) shall develop guidance to be distributed to all officers and employees of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services outlining the criteria for referral of inquiries to local offices of the Ombudsman;
(3) shall ensure that the local telephone number for each local office of the Ombudsman is published and available to individuals and employers served by the office; and
(4) shall meet regularly with the Director of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services to identify serious service problems and to present recommendations for such administrative action as may be appropriate to resolve problems encountered by individuals and employers.
**(e) Personnel actions**
(1) **In general** — The Ombudsman shall have the responsibility and authority—
(A) to appoint local ombudsmen and make available at least 1 such ombudsman for each State; and
(B) to evaluate and take personnel actions (including dismissal) with respect to any employee of any local office of the Ombudsman.
(2) **Consultation** — The Ombudsman may consult with the appropriate supervisory personnel of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services in carrying out the Ombudsman’s responsibilities under this subsection.
**(f) Responsibilities of Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services** The Director of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services shall establish procedures requiring a formal response to all recommendations submitted to such director by the Ombudsman within 3 months after submission to such director.
**(g) Operation of local offices**
(1) **In general** — Each local ombudsman—
(A) shall report to the Ombudsman or the delegate thereof;
(B) may consult with the appropriate supervisory personnel of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services regarding the daily operation of the local office of such ombudsman;
(C) shall, at the initial meeting with any individual or employer seeking the assistance of such local office, notify such individual or employer that the local offices of the Ombudsman operate independently of any other component of the Department and report directly to Congress through the Ombudsman; and
(D) at the local ombudsman’s discretion, may determine not to disclose to the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services contact with, or information provided by, such individual or employer.
(2) **Maintenance of independent communications** — Each local office of the Ombudsman shall maintain a phone, facsimile, and other means of electronic communication access, and a post office address, that is separate from those maintained by the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, or any component of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Cross-references
Connections may be documented source relationships, shared citations or nearby passages. Each explains its basis; a connection alone does not establish applicability to your situation.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) Program established** The Secretary, through the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (referred to in this section as “CBP”), in coordination with the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, shall establish a program that—
(1) seeks to prevent a child (as defined in [section 1204(b)(1) of title 18](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section1204/b/1&num=0&edition=prelim)) from departing from the territory of the United States if a parent or legal guardian of such child presents a court order from a court of competent jurisdiction prohibiting the removal of such child from the United States to a CBP Officer in sufficient time to prevent such departure for the duration of such court order; and
(2) leverages other existing authorities and processes to address the wrongful removal and return of a child.
**(b) Interagency coordination**
(1) **In general** — The Secretary of State shall convene and chair an interagency working group to prevent international parental child abduction. The group shall be composed of presidentially appointed, Senate confirmed officials from—
(A) the Department of State;
(B) the Department of Homeland Security, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and
(C) the Department of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(2) **Department of Defense** — The Secretary of Defense shall designate an official within the Department of Defense—
(A) to coordinate with the Department of State on international child abduction issues; and
(B) to oversee activities designed to prevent or resolve international child abduction cases relating to active duty military servic
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 6 U.S.C. § 251
Stored review status: release_metadata_unconfirmed. Explicit cross-reference supplied in source Markdown; currentness and applicability require review.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) Establishment**
(1) **In general** — There shall be in the Department of Homeland Security a bureau to be known as the “Bureau of Border Security”.
(2) **Assistant Secretary** — The head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall be the Assistant Secretary of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who—
(A) shall report directly to the Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security; and
(B) shall have a minimum of 5 years professional experience in law enforcement, and a minimum of 5 years of management experience.
(3) **Functions** — The Assistant Secretary of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement—
(A) shall establish the policies for performing such functions as are—
(i) transferred to the Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security by [section 251 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title6-section251&num=0&edition=prelim) and delegated to the Assistant Secretary by the Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security; or
(ii) otherwise vested in the Assistant Secretary by law;
(B) shall oversee the administration of such policies; and
(C) shall advise the Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security with respect to any policy or operation of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement affecting U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services established under part E of this subchapter, including potentially conflicting policies or operations.
(4) **Program to collect information relating to foreign students** — The Assistant Secretary of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall be responsible for administering the program to collect information relating to nonimmigrant foreign students and other exchange program participants described in [section 137
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 6 U.S.C. § 271
Stored review status: release_metadata_unconfirmed. Explicit cross-reference supplied in source Markdown; currentness and applicability require review.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) Submission of plan** Not later than 60 days after November 25, 2002, the President shall transmit to the appropriate congressional committees a reorganization plan regarding the following:
(1) The transfer of agencies, personnel, assets, and obligations to the Department pursuant to this chapter.
(2) Any consolidation, reorganization, or streamlining of agencies transferred to the Department pursuant to this chapter.
**(b) Plan elements** The plan transmitted under subsection (a) shall contain, consistent with this chapter, such elements as the President deems appropriate, including the following:
(1) Identification of any functions of agencies transferred to the Department pursuant to this chapter that will not be transferred to the Department under the plan.
(2) Specification of the steps to be taken by the Secretary to organize the Department, including the delegation or assignment of functions transferred to the Department among officers of the Department in order to permit the Department to carry out the functions transferred under the plan.
(3) Specification of the funds available to each agency that will be transferred to the Department as a result of transfers under the plan.
(4) Specification of the proposed allocations within the Department of unexpended funds transferred in connection with transfers under the plan.
(5) Specification of any proposed disposition of property, facilities, contracts, records, and other assets and obligations of agencies transferred under the plan.
(6) Specification of the proposed allocations within the Department of the functions of the agencies and subdivisions that are not related directly to securing the homeland.
**(c) Modification of plan** The President may, on the basis of consultations with the appropriate
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 6 U.S.C. § 555
Stored review status: release_metadata_unconfirmed. Incoming connection: Explicit cross-reference supplied in source Markdown; currentness and applicability require review.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) Classes of aliens ineligible for visas or admission** Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, aliens who are inadmissible under the following paragraphs are ineligible to receive visas and ineligible to be admitted to the United States:
(1) **Health-related grounds**
(A) *In general* — Any alien—
(i) who is determined (in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services) to have a communicable disease of public health significance; 11 So in original. The semicolon probably should be a comma.
(ii) except as provided in subparagraph (C), who seeks admission as an immigrant, or who seeks adjustment of status to the status of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence, and who has failed to present documentation of having received vaccination against vaccine-preventable diseases, which shall include at least the following diseases: mumps, measles, rubella, polio, tetanus and diphtheria toxoids, pertussis, influenza type B and hepatitis B, and any other vaccinations against vaccine-preventable diseases recommended by the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices,
(iii) who is determined (in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services in consultation with the Attorney General)—
(I) to have a physical or mental disorder and behavior associated with the disorder that may pose, or has posed, a threat to the property, safety, or welfare of the alien or others, or
(II) to have had a physical or mental disorder and a history of behavior associated with the disorder, which behavior has posed a threat to the property, safety, or welfare of the alien or others and which behavior is likely to recur or to lead to other harmful behavior, or
(iv) who i
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 8 U.S.C. § 1182
Stored review status: release_metadata_unconfirmed. Incoming connection: Explicit cross-reference supplied in source Markdown; currentness and applicability require review.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) Combating child trafficking at the border and ports of entry of the United States**
(1) **Policies and procedures** — In order to enhance the efforts of the United States to prevent trafficking in persons, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in conjunction with the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall develop policies and procedures to ensure that unaccompanied alien children in the United States are safely repatriated to their country of nationality or of last habitual residence.
(2) **Special rules for children from contiguous countries**
(A) *Determinations* — Any unaccompanied alien child who is a national or habitual resident of a country that is contiguous with the United States shall be treated in accordance with subparagraph (B), if the Secretary of Homeland Security determines, on a case-by-case basis, that—
(i) such child has not been a victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons, and there is no credible evidence that such child is at risk of being trafficked upon return to the child’s country of nationality or of last habitual residence;
(ii) such child does not have a fear of returning to the child’s country of nationality or of last habitual residence owing to a credible fear of persecution; and
(iii) the child is able to make an independent decision to withdraw the child’s application for admission to the United States.
(B) *Return* — An immigration officer who finds an unaccompanied alien child described in subparagraph (A) at a land border or port of entry of the United States and determines that such child is inadmissible under the Immigration and Nationality Act ([8 U.S.C. 1101](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title8-section1101&n
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 8 U.S.C. § 1232
Stored review status: release_metadata_unconfirmed. Incoming connection: Explicit cross-reference supplied in source Markdown; currentness and applicability require review.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
There is created and established in the Department of Justice an Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 8 U.S.C. § 1551
Stored review status: release_metadata_unconfirmed. Incoming connection: Explicit cross-reference supplied in source Markdown; currentness and applicability require review.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
Page 144
TITLE 6—DOMESTIC SECURITY
§ 278
report on changes in law, including changes in
authorizations of appropriations and in appro-
priations, that are needed to permit the Immi-
gration and Naturalization Service, and, after
the transfer of functions specified in this part
takes effect, the Bureau of Citizenship and Im-
migration Services of the Department, to ensure
a prompt and timely response to emergent, un-
foreseen, or impending changes in the number of
applications for immigration benefits, and oth-
erwise to ensure the accommodation of changing
immigration service needs.
(Pub. L. 107–296, title IV, § 460, Nov. 25, 2002, 116
Stat. 2201.)
§ 278. Application of Internet-based technologies
(a) Establishment of tracking system
The Secretary, not later than 1 year after the
effective date of this chapter, in consultation
with the Technology Advisory Committee estab-
lished under subsection (c), shall establish an
Internet-based system, that will permit a per-
son, employer, immigrant, or nonimmigrant
who has filings with the Secretary for any ben-
efit under the Immigration and Nationality Act
(8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.), access to online informa-
tion about the processing status of the filing in-
volved.
(b) Feasibility study for online filing and im-
proved processing
(1) Online filing
The Secretary, in consultation with the
Technology Advisory Committee established
under subsection (c), shall conduct a feasi-
bility study on the online filing of the filings
described in subsection (a). The study shall in-
clude a review of computerization and tech-
nology of the Immigration and Naturalization
Service relating to the immigration services
and processing of filings related to immigrant
services. The study shall also include an esti-
mate of th
Source: Supplied 2024 U.S. Code historical extraction · 6 U.S.C. § 279
Stored review status: historical_2024_not_currentness_verified. Same stored citation; legal effect and authority still require review.