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Title 6 — Domestic SecurityRelease 119-73

§298 Immigration functions

Title 6 › Chapter CHAPTER 1— - HOMELAND SECURITY ORGANIZATION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - BORDER, MARITIME, AND TRANSPORTATION SECURITY › Part Part F— - General Immigration Provisions › § 298

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

One year after November 25, 2002, and every year after, the Secretary must send a report to the President, the House Committees on the Judiciary and Government Reform, and the Senate Committees on the Judiciary and Government Affairs about how the transfers affected immigration work. The report must cover eight things: the total number of immigration applications and petitions received and processed; regional counts of applications filed by or for immigrants and how many were denied, broken down by reason and type; how many backlogged cases were finished, how many are still waiting, and a plan to clear the backlog; average processing times by type; the number and kinds of immigration complaints filed with any Department of Justice official and whether they were resolved; plans to fix complaints and improve services; whether fees were used properly; and whether customer questions (in person, by phone, or online) were answered well and quickly. Congress also says immigration service quality and speed should improve and that the Secretary must work to address these concerns.

Full Legal Text

Title 6, §298

Domestic Security — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)One year after November 25, 2002, and each year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit a report to the President, to the Committees on the Judiciary and Government Reform of the House of Representatives, and to the Committees on the Judiciary and Government Affairs of the Senate, on the impact the transfers made by this part has had on immigration functions.
(2)The report shall address the following with respect to the period covered by the report:
(A)The aggregate number of all immigration applications and petitions received, and processed, by the Department.
(B)Region-by-region statistics on the aggregate number of immigration applications and petitions filed by an alien (or filed on behalf of an alien) and denied, disaggregated by category of denial and application or petition type.
(C)The quantity of backlogged immigration applications and petitions that have been processed, the aggregate number awaiting processing, and a detailed plan for eliminating the backlog.
(D)The average processing period for immigration applications and petitions, disaggregated by application or petition type.
(E)The number and types of immigration-related grievances filed with any official of the Department of Justice, and if those grievances were resolved.
(F)Plans to address grievances and improve immigration services.
(G)Whether immigration-related fees were used consistent with legal requirements regarding such use.
(H)Whether immigration-related questions conveyed by customers to the Department (whether conveyed in person, by telephone, or by means of the Internet) were answered effectively and efficiently.
(b)It is the sense of Congress that—
(1)the quality and efficiency of immigration services rendered by the Federal Government should be improved after the transfers made by this part take effect; and
(2)the Secretary should undertake efforts to guarantee that concerns regarding the quality and efficiency of immigration services are addressed after such effective date.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Committee on Government Reform of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 6, One Hundred Tenth Congress, Jan. 5, 2007. Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Oversight and Reform of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 6, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, Jan. 9, 2019. Committee on Oversight and Reform of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Oversight and Accountability of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Eighteenth Congress, Jan. 9, 2023. Committee on Governmental Affairs of Senate changed to Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of Senate, effective Jan. 4, 2005, by Senate Resolution No. 445, One Hundred Eighth Congress, Oct. 9, 2004.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

6 U.S.C. § 298

Title 6 — Domestic Security

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73