DHS Watch : FAMS and Explosives Unit under ICE
Posted Sep 12, 2003

DHS Secretary Tom Ridge announced on September 2, 2003, that the Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS) and the Explosives Unit will become part of the Bureau of Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE). Previously, FAMS and the Explosives Unit were part of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

This change is a further effort to improve homeland security. According to a statement by Michael Garcia, Acting Assistant Secretary for ICE, the Air Marshal Service will have better investigative resources once within ICE. The change is designed to enhance ICE's law enforcement capabilities, and to assist ICE in detecting threats to national security. ICE is the investigative arm of DHS and is intended to unify the enforcement efforts with regard to U.S. immigration and customs laws as well as protect national security by detecting and preventing violations by criminals and terrorists.