Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 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
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
×