Key Points
- Alejandro Mayorkas assumed office as the 7th U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security on February 2, 2021
- Mayorkas previously served under Obama as the Deputy Secretary for the DHS and Director of USCIS
- As Director of USCIS, Mayorkas implemented the DACA program and gained support for the EB-5 visa program
- Mayorkas is an immigrant from Cuba
Overview
Alejandro Mayorkas assumed office on February 2, 2021 as the 7th U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. He previously served as the 6th U.S. Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of USCIS under President Obama.
What are the Changes?
Alejandro Mayorkas succeeds Chad Wolf, who resigned from his position as acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security on January 11, 2021. Before assuming his current role, Mayorkas was the Deputy Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security from 2013-2016 and the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) from 2009- 2013.
Background
Alejandro Mayorkas is a U.S. government official and attorney. He holds a J.D. from Loyola Law School.
Mayorkas has worked in both the public and private sectors over the course of his career. Under the Obama administration, Mayorkas implemented the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Mayorkas also helped increase popularity and support for the EB-5 investor visa program under Obama. Mayorkas, who immigrated to the U.S. as a child from Cuba, has also expressed interest in restoring U.S.-Cuba relations.
Looking Ahead
Mayorkas' confirmation is expected to bring greater stability to DHS, which is the third largest federal agency in the U.S. DHS struggled with a high turnover in leadership under the Trump administration, which prevented the implementation of many presidential actions.
Originally published 3 February 2021
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