On January 26, 2021, a bipartisan 7-4 vote from the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs recommended Alejandro Mayorkas to lead the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). President Joe Biden’s pick will now advance to a vote by the full Senate. If confirmed, Mayorkas would be the first Latinx person to lead the DHS.
Mayorkas has had extensive experience under the Obama administration, where he served as both the DHS deputy secretary and the director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. He has further played an integral role in the implementation of DACA. John Sandweg, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement stated that “He has strong law enforcement credentials, he will hit the ground running, and he prioritizes good policy above good politics.”
Despite his experience, some Republicans have raised concerns about his integrity in regards to his intervention in three EB-5 immigrant investor visa cases. Mayorkas responded that the claims of preferential treatment in these cases were “entirely unfounded.”
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