[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 26, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S147]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               NOMINATION OF ALEJANDRO NICHOLAS MAYORKAS

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of Ali 
Mayorkas's nomination to be Secretary of Homeland Security.
  I believe Ali is uniquely qualified to face the challenges our Nation 
is facing on day one. He brings to this office a diverse background and 
set of experiences in both the private and public sectors that will 
serve him well.
  I have known Ali for many years and am proud to have recommended him 
to President Clinton for the position of U.S. Attorney for the Central 
District of California. I also worked very closely with Ali while he 
served as President Obama's Director of U.S. Citizenship and 
Immigration Services and later Deputy Secretary of DHS.
  We all know that the role of Secretary of the Department of Homeland 
Security is challenging. Recent history has shown the threats facing 
the United States are diverse and ever-changing.
  Over my many years working with Ali, I have witnessed his 
intelligence, kindness, and thoughtfulness, as well as the compassion 
and morality he brings with him to work every day. In many ways, Ali's 
life story reflects the spirit of the American dream, and I would like 
to briefly pass along some of that story today.
  Born in Havana, Cuba, Ali and his family fled to the United States in 
1960. He attended the University of California-Berkeley, where he 
earned a bachelor's degree with distinction in 1981. He went on to earn 
his law degree from Loyola Law School in 1985. From 1989 to 1998, he 
served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of 
California where he prosecuted a wide array of Federal crimes. Ali 
became the first U.S. Attorney in the Central District of California to 
be appointed from within the office when he was appointed in 1998.
  He created the Civil Rights Section in the office to prosecute hate 
crimes; he developed an innovative program to address violent crime by 
targeting criminals' possession of firearms; he led the prosecution of 
street gangs; and he still had time to develop an afterschool program 
to help at-risk youth.
  Ali's approach to enforcing our Nation's laws demonstrates a much-
needed holistic view that understands the complexity of the challenge. 
He further developed his sharp legal skills as a partner at O'Melveny 
and Myers from 2001 to 2009 where he represented companies in high-
profile and sensitive government enforcement cases. He was recognized 
by his worldwide firm for his leadership and was named by the National 
Law Journal in 2008 as one of the ``50 Most Influential Minority 
Lawyers in America.''
  When Ali took over as Director of USCIS in 2009, he worked to 
administer our immigration laws while preserving our legacy as a nation 
of immigrants. He helped ensure integrity of our immigration laws by 
decreasing fraud and bringing accountability to our immigration system.
  Significantly, under President Obama's directive to grant deferred 
action to immigrants who arrived in this country as children, Ali 
successfully implemented the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, 
known as DACA.
  This program played a critical role for hundreds of thousands of 
young people who were able to get jobs, acquire driver's licenses, 
purchase homes and go to college. I am proud that Ali will continue to 
play a role in allowing these young people to pursue the American 
dream.
  When Ali became the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security under 
President Obama in 2013, he took on even more responsibility. He led 
the DHS response to the Ebola and Zika virus epidemics, as well as 
cybersecurity negotiations with China.
  He oversaw the agency's complex efforts to combat terrorism and 
enhance the security and management of our borders. He worked to 
facilitate trade and travel, and he oversaw the enforcement of our 
immigration laws.
  And he was responsible for coordinating efforts to safeguard 
cyberspace and oversee disaster coordination with Federal, State, 
local, international, and private sector partners.
  The United States faces new threats to our security every day. We 
need experienced, intelligent, and moral leadership at DHS to combat 
those threats.
  I have full confidence that Ali Mayorkas will bring all of those 
qualities to the role of Homeland Security Secretary. I strongly urge 
my colleagues to vote to confirm Alejandro Mayorkas for the position of 
Secretary of Homeland Security.
  Thank you.

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