Latino immigrant sworn in as Secretary of Homeland Security

WASHINGTON – Today, Alejandro Mayorkas was officially sworn in as the seventh Secretary of Homeland Security. Secretary Mayorkas took the oath this afternoon after the Senate voted to confirm him. As Secretary of Homeland Security, Mayorkas now leads the third largest federal department in the United States, which includes the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the United States Secret Service.

“DHS bears an extraordinary weight on behalf of the American people, the weight of grave challenges seen and unseen,” said Secretary Mayorkas. “It is the greatest privilege of my life to return to the Department to lead the men and women who dedicate their talent and energy to the safety and security of our nation. I will work every day to ensure that they have the tools they need to execute their missions with honor and integrity. The mission of the Department of Homeland Security is to safeguard the American people, our homeland, and our values. The United States is a welcoming and empathetic nation, one that finds strength in its diversity. I pledge to defend and secure our country without sacrificing these American values.”

Secretary Mayorkas is the first immigrant to serve in the role of DHS Secretary. His parents arrived with him and his sister to the United States as refugees after fleeing Cuba in 1960. Secretary Mayorkas previously served as the DHS Deputy Secretary from 2013 to 2016. Prior to holding that position, he was the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency charged with operating the largest immigration system in the world.