Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Aug 04, 2025

The First Latino And Immigrant Has Been Confirmed To Run The Department Of Homeland Security

The First Latino And Immigrant Has Been Confirmed To Run The Department Of Homeland Security

Alejandro Mayorkas became a US citizen in 1973 after his father fled Cuba with his family.

Alejandro Mayorkas, a former top Obama administration official, will become the first Latino and immigrant to run the Department of Homeland Security after the US Senate voted to confirm his nomination on Tuesday.

The DHS has not had a Senate-confirmed leader since the departure of Kirstjen Nielsen in April 2019. Mayorkas is expected to be sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris later on Tuesday.

Mayorkas, who was born in Havana, Cuba, and became a US citizen in 1973, served as the director of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and deputy secretary of DHS during the Obama administration. The 60-year-old led USCIS in 2012 when the agency rolled out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, which sought to protect undocumented immigrants brought to the US at a young age from deportation. Biden has promised to restore those protections.

Senate Republicans largely voted against Mayorkas's nomination, with some pointing to the Biden administration’s stated goals to change immigration policies at the southern border and beyond as their main issue.

“Not only has Mayorkas pledged to undo the sensible protections put in place by the Trump Administration that ended the dangerous policy of catch and release, but his nomination is further evidence that the Biden Administration intends to pursue a radical immigration agenda. I oppose his confirmation,” Sen. Marco Rubio said in a statement.

Under the Trump administration, the agency faced a series of legal challenges over the legitimacy of its leadership, including successful efforts to block policies enacted by former acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf, whose appointment was deemed unlawful by federal judges.

Senate and House Democrats, meanwhile, celebrated Mayorkas’s confirmation.

“I am glad that the Senate finally confirmed Mr. Mayorkas to be the next Secretary of Homeland Security. But given the importance of this national security cabinet post, he should have been confirmed on day one of the Biden Administration,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. “DHS has been without a permanent leader for almost two years, and there was no valid reason for Senate Republicans to filibuster and delay his confirmation.”

Mayorkas’s selection comes as the Biden administration aims to undo the immigration policies that former president Donald Trump installed during his four years in office.

Trump redefined the role of the Department of Homeland Security while instituting a series of unprecedented immigration restrictions. Trump banned citizens of Muslim-majority countries from coming to the US, blocked asylum protections at the border, kept asylum-seekers in Mexico, and cut back DACA.

The torrent of policy changes, which the Migration Policy Institute estimated to number more than 400, had its effect on DHS employees who were told to implement the measures quickly, often without preparation or adequate training.

In a meeting with immigration groups in December, Mayorkas said the immigration system is "badly broken and we all know it."

"We must stop vilifying these communities," he said, while adding that there needs to be an immediate end to the "unjust treatment of immigrants."

The Biden administration has already attempted to pause many deportations for 100 days, added new guidelines for ICE officers on who they can arrest, and suspended any additional people from being added to the Remain in Mexico program.

Mayorkas’s family fled Cuba in 1960 after the ascent of Fidel Castro, according to a 2015 profile of him in the Los Angeles Times.

“He did not want to raise the family in a communist country,” Mayorkas, who primarily grew up in LA, told the paper of his late father. “He believed in democracy, and he understood the perils and the challenges of living otherwise.”

Mayorkas would eventually travel back to Cuba in 2016 to negotiate a memorandum of understanding between the two countries.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
×