U.S. Marshals Service – Chicago, IL

U.S. Marshals Service – Northern District of Illinois

Federal Law Enforcement & Judicial Security

The United States Marshals Service (USMS) for the Northern District of Illinois operates out of the Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse at 219 South Dearborn Street. As the nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency, the Marshals Service is the enforcement arm of the federal courts. This specific office is responsible for a massive jurisdiction covering Chicago and the surrounding northern counties. Their presence ensures the safe conduct of judicial proceedings and the protection of federal judges, jurors, and other court participants.

Key Responsibilities

While the USMS does not typically handle general police reports from the public, their operational scope is vast:

• Judicial Security: Providing physical security for the Dirksen Federal Building and personal protection for federal jurists.
• Fugitive Investigations: The Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, led by the USMS, actively hunts down the area’s most dangerous wanted criminals.
• Asset Forfeiture: Managing and selling assets seized from criminal enterprises (cars, real estate, cash).
• Prisoner Transport: Managing the custody and transportation of federal detainees (JPATS).

Visiting the Dirksen Building

The U.S. Marshals office is located within a high-security federal facility. Public access to the Marshals’ administrative office is restricted and generally requires an appointment or specific business purpose. Visitors to the courthouse for trials or jury duty will encounter USMS Court Security Officers (CSOs) at the entrance. Strict security protocols are in place: no cameras, no weapons, and no recording devices are allowed. In many cases, mobile phones must be powered off or placed in magnetic pouches upon entering courtrooms. The building is easily accessible via the Jackson Blue Line or Red Line stations.