United States Code
6 U.S.C. § 272
Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman
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- S 4082 Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2026 Amends its part · introduced · 119th Congress
- HR 7901 Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2026 Amends its part · introduced · 119th Congress
- HR 6379 Shadow Wolves Improvement Act Amends its part · introduced · 119th Congress
- S 2296 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 Amends its part · introduced · 119th Congress
- S 572 Shadow Wolves Improvement Act Amends its part · introduced · 119th Congress
- S 2983 Extending Expired Cybersecurity Authorities Act Amends its part · introduced · 119th Congress
- HR 5518 Integrated Cross-Border Law Enforcement Operations Expansion Act Amends its part · introduced · 119th Congress
- S 2342 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 Amends its part · introduced · 119th Congress
- S 2202 Intelligence Community Efficiency and Effectiveness Act of 2025 Amends its part · introduced · 119th Congress
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- HR 3362 Justice for Angel Families Act Amends its part · introduced · 119th Congress
- S 1246 FEMA Independence Act of 2025 Repeals · introduced · 119th Congress
- S 1190 Coast Guard Improvement Act of 2025 Amends its part · introduced · 119th Congress
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- HR 2732 EARN IT Act of 2023 Amends its part · introduced · 118th Congress
- S 1798 Offices of Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction and Health Security Act of 2023 Amends its part · introduced · 118th Congress
- S 3209 Justice for Angel Families Act Amends its part · introduced · 118th Congress
- HR 5599 FEMA Independence Act of 2023 Repeals · introduced · 118th Congress
- HR 5446 Justice for Angel Families Act Amends its part · introduced · 118th Congress
- HR 5182 Child Online Safety Modernization Act of 2023 Amends its part · introduced · 118th Congress
- S 2597 Digital Consumer Protection Commission Act of 2023 Amends its part · introduced · 118th Congress
- HR 3552 United States Secret Service Mission Improvement and Realignment Act of 2023 Amends its part · introduced · 118th Congress
- S 1207 EARN IT Act of 2023 Amends its part · introduced · 118th Congress
- HR 7776 James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 Amends its part · enacted · 117th Congress
- HR 8610 Health Security and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Act Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
- S 4465 Offices of Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction and Health Security Act of 2022 Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
- S 2540 CISA Technical Corrections and Improvements Act of 2021 Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
- HRES 1512 Providing for the concurrence by the House in the Senate amendment to H.R. 7776, with an amendment. Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
- HR 7689 United States Secret Service Mission Improvement and Realignment Act of 2022 Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
- HR 3557 Homeland Security Improvement Act Amends · introduced · 117th Congress
- HR 9013 Justice for Angel Families Act Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
- HR 7900 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
- S 4964 Justice for Angel Families Act Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
- S 4644 Voice for Victims Act Amends 272(b) · introduced · 117th Congress
- S 3538 EARN IT Act of 2022 Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
- HR 6544 EARN IT Act of 2022 Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
- HR 5652 DHS Acquisition Review Board Act of 2021 Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
- HR 4357 DHS Reform Act of 2021 Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
- HR 3931 Making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, and for other purposes. Amends · introduced · 116th Congress
- HR 2609 DHS Acquisition Review Board Act of 2019 Amends its part · introduced · 116th Congress
- HR 1912 DHS Acquisition Documentation Integrity Act of 2019 Amends its part · introduced · 116th Congress
- HR 3359 Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act of 2018 Amends its part · enacted · 115th Congress
- HR 2825 DHS Authorization Act Amends its part · introduced · 115th Congress
- S 886 DHS Acquisition Review Board Act of 2017 Amends its part · introduced · 115th Congress
- HR 1616 Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act of 2017 Amends its part · enacted · 115th Congress
- HR 3020 Border Enforcement Accountability, Oversight, and Community Engagement Act of 2017 Amends · introduced · 115th Congress
- HR 1282 DHS Acquisition Review Board Act of 2017 Amends its part · introduced · 115th Congress
- HR 2406 Immigration and Customs Enforcement Authorization Act of 2017 Amends its part · introduced · 115th Congress
- S 904 Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act of 2017 Amends its part · introduced · 115th Congress
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The law today
From the official United States Code, current through Public Law 119-124.
(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.
Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗