President-elect Joe Biden announced his intention to nominate Alejandro Mayorkas as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mayorkas served as deputy secretary of DHS under President Barack Obama and is the son of Cuban Jews who fled Fidel Castro’s regime and arrived in the United States as refugees in 1960 when Mayorkas was an infant. An attorney raised in California, he will become the first immigrant and first Hispanic American to lead DHS, which oversees the U.S. immigration system and border security.
Benjamin Johnson, executive director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said:
“This nomination is not only smart, it is historic. He will not only bring critical leadership but a set of life experiences that will animate the department’s work ahead.”
Mayorkas has also served as director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) where he worked on DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).
After Biden’s announcement, Mayorkas tweeted:
“When I was very young, the United States provided my family and me a place of refuge. Now, I have been nominated to be the DHS Secretary and oversee the protection of all Americans and those who flee persecution in search of a better life for themselves and their loved ones.”
Learn More:
The experienced immigration attorneys at Godoy Law Office in Chicago and Lombard offer assistance in family-based immigration matters to a range of people, including spouses, same-sex couples, fiancés, parents and children. We can also advise immigrants looking to secure status as permanent residents through the process of applying for a green card or citizenship. If you need help with an immigration issue, please contact our office or call us at 855-554-6369.
