Overview

Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas is the Secretary of Homeland Security under President Biden; the first Latino and first immigrant to hold the position. Born in Havana; Cuba; his family fled Fidel Castro's regime when he was an infant. He previously served as Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) under Obama and as a federal prosecutor. In February 2024; the Republican-controlled House impeached Mayorkas on charges of "willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law" and "breach of public trust" over border security; making him only the second Cabinet member ever impeached and the first in over 150 years (after Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876). The Senate dismissed the charges without a trial. His tenure at DHS coincided with record migrant encounters at the southern border; with over 2.4 million encounters in fiscal year 2023. During his time as USCIS Director; the DHS Inspector General investigated allegations that he improperly intervened in applications for the EB-5 investor visa program on behalf of politically connected applicants; including associates of then-Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe and then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

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