Alejandro Mayorkas

American attorney and government official (born 1959)

Alejandro Mayorkas
Official portrait, 2021
7th United States Secretary of Homeland Security
Incumbent
Assumed office
February 2, 2021
PresidentJoe Biden
DeputyJohn Tien
Kristie Canegallo (acting)
Preceded byKirstjen Nielsen
6th United States Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
In office
December 23, 2013 – October 28, 2016
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byJane Holl Lute
Succeeded byElaine Duke
Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
In office
August 12, 2009 – December 23, 2013
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byEmilio T. Gonzalez
Succeeded byLeón Rodríguez
United States Attorney for the Central District of California
In office
December 21, 1998 – April 20, 2001
PresidentBill Clinton
George W. Bush
Preceded byNora Margaret Manella
Succeeded byDebra Wong Yang
Personal details
Born (1959-11-24) November 24, 1959 (age 64)
Havana, Cuba
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic[1]
SpouseTanya Mayorkas
Children2
EducationUniversity of California, Berkeley (BA)
Loyola Marymount University (JD)
OccupationPolitician
ProfessionLawyer
Alejandro Mayorkas's voice
Mayorkas answers questions on the vetting of Afghan refugees
Recorded November 16, 2021

Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas (born November 24, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician serving since 2021 as the seventh United States Secretary of Homeland Security. During the Obama administration, he also served in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), first as director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (2009–2013), and as deputy secretary of DHS (2013–2016).

Mayorkas was born in Havana, Cuba. Shortly after the Cuban Revolution, his family fled to Florida and later settled in California. He graduated from UC Berkeley in history with honors, subsequently earning his J.D. from Loyola Marymount University. After law school, Mayorkas worked as an Assistant United States Attorney and was appointed the United States attorney for the Central District of California in Los Angeles during the administration of President Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, where he oversaw the prosecution of high-profile criminal cases.[2]

Mayorkas was a member of the presidential transition team for Barack Obama before he assumed office in January 2009, where he led the team responsible for the U.S. Department of Justice's Criminal Division.[3] Mayorkas was appointed by President Obama as the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).[4] On May 20, 2009, the nomination was received by the Senate; on August 7, 2009, the nomination was confirmed by the Senate by voice vote.[5] As USCIS director, Mayorkas led United States citizenship through management efficiencies and fiscal responsibility, and safeguarded the integrity of the immigration system.[6] He implemented the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) process in 60 days.[7] He led U.S. government efforts to rescue orphaned children following the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti and led the advancement of a crime victims unit that, for the first time, made it possible for the agency to issue the statutory maximum number of visas to victims of crime.[6]

In 2016, Mayorkas became a partner at the law firm of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, in their Washington, D.C., office.[3] On November 23, 2020, President-elect Joe Biden announced he would nominate Mayorkas as secretary of homeland security in his Cabinet. Mayorkas's nomination received the endorsement of the Fraternal Order of Police[8] and former secretaries Tom Ridge, Michael Chertoff (who served under George W. Bush), Janet Napolitano and Jeh Johnson (under whom Mayorkas served), who said Biden "could not have found a more qualified person".[9] On February 2, 2021, Mayorkas was confirmed by the Senate on a 56–43 vote, with significant Senate Republican opposition.[10] He was sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris on February 2, 2021.[11]

On February 13, 2024, Mayorkas was impeached, with a 214–213 vote, by the United States House of Representatives. This came after an earlier unsuccessful impeachment vote of Mayorkas one week prior.[12] Mayorkas is only the second cabinet member in U.S. history to be impeached, the first being Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876.[13]

Early life and education

Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas[14] was born in Havana, Cuba, on November 24, 1959.[4] When he was one year old, his parents fled with him and his sister to the United States in 1960 as refugees, following the Cuban Revolution. He lived in Miami, Florida, before his family moved to Los Angeles, California, where he was raised for the remainder of his youth.[15] Mayorkas grew up in Beverly Hills and attended Beverly Hills High School.[16]

His father, Charles R. "Nicky" Mayorkas, was born in Cuba. He was a Cuban Jew of Sephardi (from the former Ottoman Empire, present-day Turkey and Greece) and Ashkenazi (from Poland) background. He owned and operated a steel wool factory on the outskirts of Havana.[15][17][18][19] Nicky Mayorkas studied economics at Dartmouth College.[19]

His mother, Anita (Gabor),[19] was a Romanian Jew whose family escaped the Holocaust and fled to Cuba in the 1940s[20][21][22] before leaving for the United States after the Cuban Revolution.[20]

Mayorkas graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts degree with distinction.[23] He received his Juris Doctor in 1985 from Loyola Law School, where he was an editor of the Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review.[2]

Assistant United States Attorney

After three years as a litigation associate in private practice, Mayorkas became an Assistant United States Attorney in the Central District of California in 1989.[6] He prosecuted a wide array of federal crimes, developing a specialization in the prosecution of white-collar crime, including tax evasion and money laundering.[19] His prosecutions included the successful prosecution of Operation PolarCap, then the largest money laundering case in the nation; the conviction at trial of Heidi Fleiss on charges of federal conspiracy, tax fraud, and money laundering charges; the successful prosecutions of two largest telemarketing fraud operations that preyed on the elderly; and the successful prosecution of a health care fraud and insurance fraud conspiracy.[2]

Mayorkas served as the coordinator of the Southern California Telemarketing Fraud Task Force, overseeing the coordination of federal, state, and local law enforcement and regulatory agencies to most aggressively combat telemarketing fraud throughout the Central District of California.[2]

From 1996 to 1998, Mayorkas served as Chief of the Office's General Crimes Section, overseeing the training and trial work of all new Assistant United States Attorneys in the Criminal Division. He received numerous awards from federal law enforcement agencies, including from FBI Director Louis Freeh for the successful prosecution of Operation PolarCap.[2]

United States Attorney

In 1998, Mayorkas was recommended by Senator Dianne Feinstein and appointed by President Bill Clinton as the United States Attorney for the Central District of California, becoming the country's youngest United States Attorney.[24][2] He was appointed on December 21, 1998.[25]

Mayorkas oversaw the prosecution of high-profile criminal cases, including the prosecution of the Mexican Mafia in death penalty proceedings, the prosecution of Buford O. Furrow Jr. for the murder of a federal postal worker and the hate-motivated shooting of children in a community center, the prosecution of Litton Industries for the payment of bribes abroad, and the takedown of the violent 18th Street gang using RICO statutes.[2]

In late 2000, Mayorkas was one of many California officials who participated in efforts to obtain executive clemency for narcotics trafficker Carlos Vignali Jr., the son of a wealthy Los Angeles businessman. On his last day in office in January 2001, Clinton commuted Vignali's 15-year prison sentence, a controversial decision.[26][27]

Private law practice

In September 2001, Mayorkas joined O'Melveny & Myers as a litigation partner.[28] In 2008, The National Law Journal named Mayorkas one of the "50 Most Influential Minority Lawyers in America".[29]

Upon the election of Barack Obama in November 2008, Mayorkas was selected by the president-elect for a role in the presidential transition leading up to the inauguration. He led the transition team responsible for the U.S. Department of Justice's Criminal Division.[3]

Obama administration, 2009–2016

Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

In 2009, Mayorkas was appointed by President Obama as the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).[4] On May 20, 2009, the nomination was received by the Senate; on August 7, 2009, the nomination was confirmed by the Senate by voice vote.[5] As USCIS director, Mayorkas led United States citizenship through management efficiencies and fiscal responsibility, and safeguarding the integrity of the immigration system.[6] He implemented the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) process in sixty days.[7] He led U.S. government efforts to rescue orphaned children following the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti and led the advancement of a crime victims unit that, for the first time, resulted in the ability of the agency to administer the statutory maximum number of visas to victims of crime.[6]

For his work as director of USCIS, Mayorkas received awards from the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund.[30]

In 2015, a Department of Homeland Security inspector general (DHS IG) report criticized Mayorkas's oversight of the EB-5 investor visa program, which offered lawful permanent resident status (green cards) to foreign investors who invested $500,000 into businesses that created jobs in the U.S.[31] The program's popularity greatly increased under Mayorkas's tenure.[31] The DHS IG report, which was the culmination of an investigation beginning in 2013,[32] focused on allegations that politically connected businesses were given special treatment under the program, focusing specifically on the Sahara casino and hotel in Las Vegas, backed by then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and an electric car company led by Terry McAuliffe and involving Anthony Rodham.[31] The report concluded that "The juxtaposition of Mr. Mayorkas' communication with external stakeholders on specific matters outside the normal procedures, coupled with favorable action that deviated from the regulatory scheme designed to ensure fairness and evenhandedness in adjudicating benefits, created an appearance of favoritism and special access."[31] The "fast-tracking" of approvals for individuals involved in the casino program was controversial because it was made over the objections of USCIS analysts "who were suspicious about the source of the funds".[33]

Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security

Nominated by President Obama in June 2013, Mayorkas was confirmed as the deputy secretary on December 20, 2013, following a party-line Senate vote.[34][14]

The DHS inspector general's investigation into Mayorkas's intervention as USCIS director to expedite reviews for applicants for foreign investor visas in three cases caused controversy and delayed his confirmation proceedings.[35][36] The inspector general's report found that Mayorkas's acts did not violate the law, but did create an appearance of favoritism.[35] In House Homeland Security Committee testimony in May 2015, Mayorkas expressed regret that his intervention created an impression of favoritism, but said his involvement was motivated by a desire to ensure that the applications were handled in accordance with the law: "I did not let errors go unchecked, but instead helped ensure that those cases were decided correctly, nothing more and nothing less."[36]

As deputy secretary, Mayorkas's led DHS's response to the 2013–14 Ebola virus epidemic and 2015–16 Zika virus epidemic.[35][24] His work also focused on cybersecurity.[36] He led the DHS's negotiations with Israel and China on cybersecurity.[37] A landmark agreement reached in 2015 with the Chinese government reduced, for a brief period, Chinese cyberattacks against American companies[38] aimed at the theft of intellectual property.[39] After the normalization of U.S.-Cuba relations, Mayorkas led the Obama administration's delegation to Cuba,[37] and negotiated with the Cuban government on port and cargo security and U.S.-Cuba travel.[21]

Mayorkas was also involved in the Department's counterterrorism and anti-cybercrime efforts, as well as its public-private partnerships,[40] and efforts to fight antisemitism.[21] Under Mayorkas's tenure, DHS greatly expanded its Cyber Crimes Center in Fairfax, Virginia, to aid the department's efforts to combat various cybercrimes, ranging from child exploitation to computer hacking and intellectual property theft.[41] Mayorkas was involved in efforts to address DHS's presence on GAO's "high risk list" for management challenges;[40] Mayorkas, as well as Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, acknowledged low morale among DHS employees (a longstanding problem that pre-dated the Obama administration) and took steps aimed at boosting morale.[42][43]

Return to private practice, 2017–2020

In October 2016, Mayorkas joined the law firm of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr in the firm's Washington office.[44]

Secretary of Homeland Security

Mayorkas arrives at the DHS headquarters following his swearing-in as secretary, 2021
Mayorkas with Israeli Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked in Washington, D.C. on November 17, 2021
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Joins US President Joe Biden at FEMA Headquarters, 2023
Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas met with Lee Sang-min, Republic of Korea Minister of the Interior and Safety

On November 23, 2020, President-elect Joe Biden announced his plan to nominate Mayorkas to be Secretary of Homeland Security.[45][46]

Mayorkas had the support of the Fraternal Order of Police[8] and endorsements from former secretaries Tom Ridge and Michael Chertoff (who served under George W. Bush) and Janet Napolitano and Jeh Johnson (who served under Barack Obama), who said Biden "could not have found a more qualified person".[9] Most Senate Republicans however opposed the nomination; Josh Hawley delayed a speedy confirmation, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell urged his caucus to vote against confirmation.[47][48]

Ultimately, Mayorkas was confirmed on a 56–43 vote.[49][50] Republican Senators Shelley Moore Capito, Rob Portman, Susan Collins, Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski, and Dan Sullivan voted with the Democrats to confirm Mayorkas.[49] Mayorkas was sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris on February 2, 2021, after his confirmation that day.[11] Mayorkas is the first refugee and first person born in Latin America to lead the department.[51]

Tenure

Early on in his tenure, arrests surged at the Mexico-United States border. In June 2021, the monthly number of intercepted migrants reached a decade high of 188,800.[52]

On October 19, 2021, Mayorkas tested positive for COVID-19 during a test performed as part of pre-travel protocol. He experienced mild symptoms, forcing him to cancel a trip to Bogotá, Colombia, and to reschedule a Senate hearing.[53]

Testifying to the Homeland Security Subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations on April 27, 2022, Mayorkas confirmed that the Biden administration will implement a Disinformation Working Group in the DHS to "develop guidelines, standards, [and] guardrails" to shape the department's longstanding effort to counter disinformation.[54][55] Three weeks later, after critics called the initiative "a violation of free speech" and its executive director Nina Jankowicz had resigned, the Disinformation Working Group was "paused".[56]

In September 2021, a photo circulated of Border Patrol agents using their "long rein" to control horses; however, the photo appeared to show them "whipping" Haitian migrants. Upon its release, the image generated outrage. Initially, Mayorkas defended the actions of agents, but later, at a White House press conference, condemned their actions and pledged to investigate them.[citation needed]

In October 2022, The Heritage Foundation released emails that showed that, hours before the press conference, Mayorkas received emails that disproved the whipping claim, including from the photographer himself. Republicans condemned Mayorkas upon the emails' release. Senator Ted Cruz, Representatives Andy Biggs, Michael Cloud and Vicky Hartzler had, by October 2022, raised the prospect of impeaching Mayorkas. Chief of the United States Border Patrol under President Obama and acting Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection under President Trump Mark A. Morgan also condemned Mayorkas's actions.[57][58][59]

On October 31, 2023, Mayorkas testified before the Senate Homeland Security Committee that more than 600,000 people illegally made their way into the United States without being apprehended by border agents during the 2023 fiscal year.[60][61]

Impeachment

On November 9, 2023, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene filed a motion to impeach Mayorkas, citing a dereliction of duty and saying he "failed to maintain operational control of the [Southern] border".[62] The motion to impeach failed to pass on November 13, with the House voting 209–201 to defer the resolution to the House Homeland Security Committee. Eight Republicans joined all Democrats in blocking the measure.[63][64]

On January 28, 2024, House Republicans introduced two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas, alleging "willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law" and breach of the public trust. Constitutional legal scholars and Democrats asserted Republicans were using impeachment to address immigration policy disputes rather than for high crimes and misdemeanors, of which there was no evidence.[65] Legal scholar and law professor Jonathan Turley commented that the impeachment lacked a "cognizable basis" and that the inquiry had failed to show "conduct by the secretary that could be viewed as criminal or impeachable".[66] In a Washington Post opinion piece, Norm Eisen and Joshua Matz argued that an impeachment of Mayorkas on grounds of "maladministration" would violate the Constitution.[67] Former DHS secretary Michael Chertoff, a Republican, wrote in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece that "Republicans in the House should drop this impeachment charade and work with Mr. Mayorkas to deliver for the American people."[68] On the eve of a committee vote on the impeachment articles, the conservative Editorial Board at The Wall Street Journal also questioned the reasoning for impeachment, writing "A policy dispute doesn't qualify as a high crime and misdemeanor."[69]

On January 31, 2024, Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee approved the articles along party lines for referral to the full House.[70][71] On February 6, 2024, the United States House of Representatives voted against impeaching Mayorkas, nearly along party lines, with the final vote being 214–216.[72] Major media outlets variously characterized the failed vote as a "stunning rebuke", a "calamitous miscalculation", and a "story of a House in utter disarray".[73][74][75] On February 13, 2024, the United States House of Representatives voted to impeach Mayorkas by a vote of 214–213.[76]

Personal life

Mayorkas and his wife Tanya have two daughters.[77] He is a runner and plays tennis and squash.[35]

References

  1. ^ "Alejandro Mayorkas". The Hill. Archived from the original on November 27, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Rosenzweig, David (October 9, 1998). "Feinstein Recommends Mayorkas for U.S. Attorney in L.A." Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 421322576. Archived from the original on January 7, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c Barber, C. Ryan (November 23, 2020). "Wilmer Partner Alejandro Mayorkas Picked for Homeland Security Secretary". National Law Journal. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c Hesson, Ted (November 24, 2020). "Biden picks Cuban-American lawyer Mayorkas as U.S. homeland security chief". Reuters. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "PN488 – Alejandro N. Mayorkas – Department of Homeland Security". August 7, 2009. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d e Watanabe, Teresa (May 24, 2010). "Head of U.S. legal immigration system wins high marks from advocates for immigrants". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 312850120. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Preston, Julia (September 12, 2012). "Quick Start to Program Offering Immigrants a Reprieve". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 19, 2017. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  8. ^ a b Yoes, Patrick (January 7, 2021). "Law Enforcement Cheers Biden's Homeland Chief". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Chertoff, Michael; Johnson, Jeh; Napolitano, Janet; Ridge, Tom (January 12, 2021). "Opinion: 4 former homeland security secretaries: We cannot afford one more day without a confirmed DHS leader". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  10. ^ Beitsch, Rebecca (February 2, 2021). "Senate confirms Biden's DHS pick after GOP delay". The Hill. Archived from the original on February 2, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  11. ^ a b Miroff, Nick; Sonmez, Felicia (February 2, 2021). "Harris swears in Mayorkas as homeland security secretary after Senate confirmation vote". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  12. ^ Grayer, Annie (February 6, 2024). "House vote to impeach Mayorkas fails in stunning defeat for Republican leaders". CNN Politics. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  13. ^ "U.S. Senate: Impeachment Trial of Secretary of War William Belknap, 1876". Archived from the original on January 29, 2024. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  14. ^ a b "Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas – Department of Homeland Security, 113th Congress (2013-2014)". United States Congress. December 20, 2013. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020.
  15. ^ a b Marshall, Serena (October 27, 2015). "55 Years Later, US Official Prepares for Emotional Return to Cuba". ABC News. Archived from the original on January 10, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  16. ^ Johnson 2000, pp. 70, 76.
  17. ^ Marcus, Ethan (November 25, 2020). "Alejandro Mayorkas' historic nomination is a wake up call: Stop erasing Sepharadim". The Forward. Archived from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  18. ^ O'Toole, Molly (November 23, 2020). "Biden picks Alejandro Mayorkas for Homeland Security secretary". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 14, 2020. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  19. ^ a b c d Sacchetti, Maria; Miroff, Nick (January 18, 2021). "The family of Alejandro Mayorkas, Biden's pick to head DHS, fled the Nazis and then Cuba before arriving in the United States". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  20. ^ a b Hesson, Ted (July 25, 2013). "Meet the Cuban Immigrant Who Could Run Homeland Security". ABC News. Archived from the original on October 3, 2014. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  21. ^ a b c Zonshine, Idan (November 12, 2020). "Alejandro Mayorkas, the Cuban-Jewish attorney who may head Biden's DHS". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on November 22, 2020.
  22. ^ Miroff, Nick; Sacchetti, Maria (November 23, 2020). "Biden picks Alejandro Mayorkas, a son of Jewish Cuban refugees, to lead the Department of Homeland Security". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  23. ^ newsamericas (November 24, 2020). "10 Things To Know About The Man Who Could Become The First Caribbean Born U.S. DHS Secretary". Caribbean and Latin America Daily News. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  24. ^ a b Fox, Ben (November 23, 2020). "Ex-Homeland Security official Mayorkas returns under Biden". AP News. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020.
  25. ^ "Former United States Attorneys". United States Department of Justice. November 4, 2015. Archived from the original on May 4, 2019. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  26. ^ Purdum, Todd S. (February 22, 2001). "A Convict in the Storm's Eye Had Plenty of Other Help". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  27. ^ Brown, Carrie Budoff (October 14, 2008). "Clinton scandal figure on Justice team". Politico. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  28. ^ Rosenzweig, David (July 26, 2001). "Mayorkas to Join L.A. Law Firm". Los Angeles Times. p. B6. ISSN 0458-3035. ProQuest 421775031. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  29. ^ "The 50 Most Influential Minority Lawyers in America" (PDF). National Law Journal. May 26, 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 28, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2018 – via jonesday.com.
  30. ^ "Letter from Joshua Hoyt, Executive Director". Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. April 15, 2011. Archived from the original on May 5, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  31. ^ a b c d Mosk, Matthew; Ross, Brian (March 24, 2015). "Top Homeland Official Alejandro Mayorkas Accused of Political Favoritism". ABC News. Archived from the original on August 18, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  32. ^ Caldwell, Alicia (July 23, 2013). "Homeland Security official probed". Associated Press. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  33. ^ Loten, Angus (August 8, 2013). "Some USCIS Employees Say Alejandro Mayorkas Gave Special Treatment to Casino Project Backed by Foreigners". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on August 18, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  34. ^ "Roll Call Vote: Question: On the Nomination (Confirmation Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, to be Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security". Archived from the original on November 24, 2020.
  35. ^ a b c d Kanno-Youngs, Zolan (November 23, 2020). "Biden Nominates Cuban-Born Lawyer to Lead Homeland Security Dept". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  36. ^ a b c Preston, Julia (April 30, 2015). "Homeland Security Official Defends Handling of Visa Program". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  37. ^ a b Gamboa, Suzanne (November 23, 2020). "First Latino tapped to head DHS signals shift from Trump's hard-line immigration policies". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020.
  38. ^ Marks, Joseph (November 24, 2020). "The Cybersecurity 202: Biden's DHS pick adds cybersecurity chops to the incoming administration". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020.
  39. ^ Lyngaas, Sean (November 23, 2020). "Biden's DHS pick was a 'quick study' of cybersecurity issues as the department's deputy". CyberScoop. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020.
  40. ^ a b Keegan, Michael J. (2015). "Leading a Unity of Effort: A Conversation with Alejandro Mayorkas, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security" (PDF). The Business of Government. IBM Center for The Business of Government: 26–31. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  41. ^ Markon, Jerry (July 23, 2015). "Homeland Security cybercrime center expands amid growing concern over computer hacking". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020.
  42. ^ Markon, Jerry (October 10, 2020). "DHS morale sinks further despite new leadership at the top, survey shows". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020.
  43. ^ Markon, Jerry; Nakashima, Ellen; Crites, Alice (November 21, 2014). "Top-level turnover makes it harder for DHS to stay on top of evolving threats". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020.
  44. ^ "Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Joins WilmerHale" (Press release). Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr. October 5, 2016. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  45. ^ Thomas, Ken; Restuccia, Andrew (November 23, 2020). "Biden Reveals Some Cabinet Picks". The Wall Street Journal. ProQuest 2463420498. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  46. ^ Crowley, Michael (November 23, 2020). "Biden Will Nominate First Woman to Lead Intelligence, First Latino to Run Homeland Security". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  47. ^ Desiderio, Andrew (January 19, 2021). "Josh Hawley will delay swift confirmation of Biden's DHS pick". Politico. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  48. ^ McArdle, Mairead (February 2, 2021). "McConnell Urges Caucus to Oppose Mayorkas for Biden DHS Secretary". National Review. Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  49. ^ a b "U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 117th Congress - 1st Session". senate.gov. Archived from the original on November 1, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  50. ^ O'Connell, Oliver (February 2, 2021). "Josh Hawley is only senator to vote no on all Biden cabinet confirmations". The Independent. Archived from the original on August 28, 2023. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  51. ^ Rodriguez, Sabrina (February 2, 2021). "Mayorkas confirmed as secretary of Homeland Security". Politico. Archived from the original on February 2, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  52. ^ Geneva Sands (July 14, 2021). "US-Mexico border arrests in June are the highest in at least a decade". CNN. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  53. ^ Sands, Geneva (October 19, 2021). "Homeland Security secretary tests positive for Covid-19". CNN. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  54. ^ Lancaster, Joe (April 29, 2022). "New DHS Board Seeks To Counter What It Thinks Is Disinformation". Reason. Archived from the original on April 30, 2022. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  55. ^ Beitsch, Rebecca (May 4, 2022). "Mayorkas clarifies role of new DHS disinformation board". The Hill. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  56. ^ Lorenz, Taylor (May 18, 2022). "How the Biden administration let right-wing attacks derail its disinformation efforts". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 13, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  57. ^ Strozewski, Zoe (October 12, 2022). "Mayorkas Threatened With Impeachment Over Border 'Whipping'". Newsweek. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  58. ^ Melugin, Bill; Shaw, Adam (October 11, 2022). "Mayorkas alerted that no Haitian migrants were 'whipped' hours before WH press conference". Fox News. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  59. ^ Mull, Teresa (October 13, 2022). "Obama's border chief: Mayorkas is a 'scumbag'". The Spectator. Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  60. ^ "Mayorkas confirms over 600,000 illegal immigrants evaded law enforcement at southern border last fiscal year". Fox News. October 31, 2023. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  61. ^ "WATCH LIVE: FBI Director Wray, DHS head Mayorkas testify in Senate hearing on threats to U.S." PBS NewsHour. October 31, 2023. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  62. ^ Duncan-Smith, Nicole (November 13, 2023). "Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Calls Fellow Republican the P-Word After He Criticizes Her Lack of 'Maturity'". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  63. ^ Tran, Ken (November 16, 2023). "House blocks Marjorie Taylor Greene's push to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  64. ^ Warburton, Moira; Hesson, Tom (November 14, 2023). "US House votes to pause impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas". Reuters. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  65. ^ Alemany, Jacqueline (January 28, 2024). "House GOP unveils Mayorkas impeachment articles despite lack of evidence". The Washington Post.
  66. ^ Mastrangelo, Dominick (January 29, 2024). "Turley says there's no 'cognizable basis' for Republicans to impeach Mayorkas". The Hill. Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  67. ^ Matz, Joshua; Eisen, Norman (January 9, 2024). "Why impeaching Mayorkas would violate the Constitution". Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  68. ^ Chertoff, Michael (January 28, 2024). "Don't Impeach Alejandro Mayorkas". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  69. ^ "Impeaching Mayorkas Achieves Nothing". The Wall Street Journal. The Editorial Board. January 30, 2024. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  70. ^ Grayer, Annie (January 31, 2024). "House Republicans vote to advance effort to impeach DHS Secretary Mayorkas". CNN. Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  71. ^ "House Republicans move to impeach homeland security secretary". The Guardian. January 31, 2024. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  72. ^ Wong, Scott; Kaplan, Rebecca (February 6, 2024). "House Republicans fail to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas". www.nbcnews.com. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  73. ^ Jacqueline Alemany; Amy B Wang; Marianna Sotomayor; Paul Kane (February 6, 2024). "In stunning vote, House Republicans fail to impeach Secretary Mayorkas". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  74. ^ Edmondson, Catie (February 5, 2024). "Dysfunction Reigns in Congress as G.O.P. Defeats Multiply". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  75. ^ Collinson, Stephen (February 6, 2024). "How a botched impeachment laid bare a GOP House that cannot function". CNN. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  76. ^ Demirjian, Karoun (February 13, 2024). "Border Security: House Republicans Impeach Mayorkas for Border Policies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 14, 2024. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  77. ^ "Statement of Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas to the Judiciary Committee of the United States Senate" (PDF). June 24, 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.

Sources

  • Johnson, Ross (September 2000). "The Enforcer". Los Angeles. 45 (9): 68–80.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alejandro Mayorkas.
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Alejandro Mayorkas
Offices and distinctions
Legal offices
Preceded by United States Attorney for the Central District of California
1998–2001
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by
Jonathan Scharfen
Acting
Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
2009–2013
Succeeded by
Lori Scialabba
Acting
Preceded by United States Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
2013–2016
Succeeded by
Preceded by United States Secretary of Homeland Security
2021–present
Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Secretary of Veterans Affairs Order of precedence of the United States
as Secretary of Homeland Security
Succeeded byas White House Chief of Staff
U.S. presidential line of succession
Preceded byas Secretary of Veterans Affairs 18th in line
Ineligible
as Secretary of Homeland Security
Last
  • v
  • t
  • e
Cabinet of President Joe Biden (2021–present)
  • v
  • t
  • e
Cabinet
Vice President
Secretary of State
Secretary of the Treasury
Secretary of Defense
Attorney General
Secretary of the Interior
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Commerce
Secretary of Labor
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary of Transportation
Secretary of Energy
Secretary of Education
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Secretary of Homeland Security
  • Alejandro Mayorkas (2021–present)
  • v
  • t
  • e
Cabinet-level
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Director of the Office of Management and Budget
Director of National Intelligence
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
  • William J. Burns (2023–present)
Trade Representative
Ambassador to the United Nations
Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers
Administrator of the Small Business Administration
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
White House Chief of Staff
  • v
  • t
  • e
* Ineligible to act as president • ** Ambiguity exists concerning eligibility to act as president
Authority control databases Edit this at Wikidata
International
  • FAST
  • ISNI
  • VIAF
National
  • Germany
  • United States
Other
  • SNAC