WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the federal agency charged with administering the immigration system, announced on Sept. 4 that it will hire armed special agents with the authority to investigate crimes and make arrests.
The service announced a final rule, which will be published on Sept. 5 in the Federal Register, that will authorize the appointment of special agents to carry firearms and operate as federal law enforcement officers to investigate fraud. This will allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to focus on disrupting transnational crime and capturing and deporting illegal immigrants, said the agency.
The rule is based on a delegation of authority, issued on May 2, from the secretary of homeland security that grants USCIS additional civil and criminal investigative powers, including ordering expedited removal. Previously, the service referred criminal matters to ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations division, which employs special agents….