U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Elena Kagan said Tuesday the Court should decrease its reliance on U.S. Marshals in favor of its own police force [1].
This proposal marks a significant shift in how the highest court in the land manages its physical security. By moving away from an external agency, the Court seeks greater autonomy over its protective protocols amid a climate of growing threats to the judiciary.
Kagan testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government on Capitol Hill [1]. During the proceedings, she said the transition was a policy decision that would allow the Court to manage its own personnel without seeking external approval [1].
"This allows us to, whenever we have to make a policy decision about how to use our security personnel, it's our policy decision," Kagan said [1]. "We don't have to convince anybody else."
The request for a shift in security management coincides with a broader financial push. The Supreme Court has submitted a budget request of $225 million for fiscal year 2027 [3]. Kagan linked the need for this funding to the requirement for a more dedicated, and stable, security presence.
"We need stable, dedicated security personnel who answer to the Court, not to an external agency," Kagan said [2].
While some reports identified the hearing as taking place before a Senate committee, other records place the testimony before the House Appropriations Subcommittee [1, 3]. The primary objective of the testimony remained the justification of the Court's internal security needs, and its associated costs [1].
The push for increased funding and internal control comes as the Court evaluates its ability to respond to emerging security risks. Kagan said that having a dedicated force ensures that security personnel are directly accountable to the judicial body they protect [2].
“"We need stable, dedicated security personnel who answer to the Court, not to an external agency."”
The effort to transition from U.S. Marshals to a dedicated internal police force represents a move toward institutional independence for the Supreme Court. By controlling its own security apparatus, the Court reduces its dependence on the executive branch, ensuring that protective strategies are dictated by the judiciary's specific needs rather than the priorities of a federal law enforcement agency.
