Alejandro Mayorkas
Secretary of Homeland Security
Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas was born in November 1959 in Havana, Cuba. He came to the U.S. as an infant with his family, living in both Miami, Florida and Los Angeles, California. He earned an undergraduate degree from the University of California Berkeley and received his Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School. He was a litigator in private practice.
He served nearly two and a half years as the United States Attorney for the Central District of California during the administrations of President Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. President Obama named him the Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and he served there until his nomination as Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, a position he held during the remainder of the Obama administration. He then returned to private practice in Washington, D.C.
In November 2020, president-elect Joe Biden announced his intention to nominate Mayorkas to be Secretary of Homeland Security. He was confirmed by the Senate in a 56-43 vote and sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris in early February 2021.
Mayorkas and his wife, Tanya, have two daughters. He is Jewish.
In the News…
As migrants continue to overwhelm the U.S-Mexico border, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has requested assistance from volunteers from agencies within the department, and also from the Federal Emergency Management AGENCY (FEMA).
In a memo to DHS staff, Mayorkas urged those who could travel—given the remaining restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic—to help Customs and Border Protection “as they face a surge in immigration.”
In his memo, he wrote, “You have likely seen the news about the overwhelming numbers of migrants seeking access to this country along the Southwest Border. President Biden and I are committed to ensuring our Nation has a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system while continuing to balance all of the other critical DHS missions.”
He also said that those who joined the volunteer force would be used in a non-law-enforcement capacity, with responsibilities including managing property, preparing meals, doing supply runs, prescription medicine runs, housekeeping, and assisting in control rooms.
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Secretary Mayorkas today? You can let him know at:
The Honorable Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary
Department of Homeland Security
3801 Nebraska Ave NW
Washington, DC 20394
