The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services has statutory responsibility for preventing the introduction, transmission, and spread of communicable diseases in the United States. Under its delegated authority, the Division of Global Migration and Quarantine works to fulfill this responsibility through a variety of activities, including:
- the operation of Quarantine Stations at ports of entry
- establishment of standards for medical examination of persons destined for the United States, and
- administration of interstate and foreign quarantine regulations, which govern the international and interstate movement of persons, animals, and cargo.
The legal foundation for these activities is found in Titles 8 and 42 of the U.S. Code and relevant supporting regulations.