United States Citizens and Immigration Services and Genealogy Services

The United States Citizens and Immigration Services are referred to as ICE.  Typically, ICE is mentioned whenever the subject of illegal immigration is brought up.  However, ICE also performs Genealogy Services for relatives wanting to know more about their family history as the ancestors of most American citizens immigrated here from somewhere.

 

There are forms which can be found online at www.uscis.gov/genealogy which assist the searcher with her query.  One can request an index first to determine what, if any, documents exist.  Then a specific document request may be requested.  The information may be forthcoming from either microfiche or hard files.  The person being searched cannot be living.

 

This service is not the only place where records can be found.  In fact, requests for records of naturalization can only date back to September 27, 1906.  Additionally, copies of sea, land, or air manifests date back to December 1982.  Records preceding these dates might be available through the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).