Cabinet Appointee: Department of Homeland Security

Home , Homeland (season 2), Homeland (season 5)

CABINET APPOINTEE: DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

President-elect Biden is expected to nominate Alejandro Mayorkas to of Homeland Security (DHS). I lead the Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Mayorkas previously had the opportunity to work with served as Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of him directly when I was the U.S. Attorney for Arizona and he was at Homeland Security from December 23, 2013 to October 31, 2016. DHS. I oversaw the Obama/Biden Two members of Ballard Spahr’s Government Relations and Public Transition for the Department of Homeland Security on behalf of then Policy Group—Ballard Spahr Special Counsel Edward G. Rendell— Secretary Janet Napolitano, and she who served as governor of Pennsylvania and mayor of Philadelphia— was involved in recruiting Ali to and Of Counsel Dennis K. Burke, a former U.S. Attorney for the DHS. We have a lot in common and District of Arizona—shared their insights about Mr. Mayorkas and have run in the same circles for a what the near future may hold for him in this role. long time.

How did you come to know number of jobs. It was a way to get Why do you think he was chosen? Alejandro Mayorkas? capital in the country. What makes him uniquely qualified for this position? Governor Rendell: I got to know As governor, we used the EB5 Mayorkas when I was governor. program to expand the convention Gov. Rendell: Because of the work Pennsylvania took as much advantage center and tons of hotels and he did in DHS, he’s an expert on the as any state of the program known large buildings. It was a very good ins and outs of immigration and the as EB5, which allowed people from program. The money would be issues he’s going to face. He’s a man abroad to get a green card if they loaned to developers at something of great patience and judgment, and invested a certain amount of money like one percent, so it made a lot of I think both of those characteristics in a project that created a certain cheap money available for economic will serve him well. development projects. He was in Mr. Burke: Ali is a gifted leader. He charge of the program, so over the works extremely well with others and next four or five years, I must have Ali is a gifted leader. has an exceptionally well-rounded talked to him 15 or 20 times. Over He works extremely background in public service focused that time, we became friends. He was on security. He has excelled at well with others and has a really great guy, a great professional every position he has held and is an an exceptionally well- servant. excellent communicator and effective rounded background in Mr. Burke: I’ve known Ali for manager who seeks out challenges and public service focused more than a decade. He’s a former gets things done. on security. U.S. Attorney who then served in critical capacities at the Department In what ways will the Department’s Biden Administration will prioritize ship at sea during the Trump policies differ from those of the diversity. DHS interacts so much with Administration. For example, the Trump Administration under his the Latin American community, so it’s use of DHS officers as state police leadership? meaningful to have a man reflecting in American cities during protests this diversity leading this Department. this summer was appalling and Mr. Burke: Ali has solid reputation His appointment represents a symbolic demoralizing to the people who for a lot of reasons—chief among shift, not just a policy shift. work at DHS. That Department them, his integrity. First on his has wide breadth of services and agenda I anticipate is restoring faith What do you anticipate the biggest responsibilities, but it’s not a state in that Department, both for the challenges being in his first year? police. Its mission is to prevent and people who work there and the people protect us from exterior threats not who are served by it. He will exhibit Gov. Rendell: Solving the create internal ones. an allegiance to the underlying DREAMER problem right statutory authority and policies of away, followed by a creating a Individuals who enter the United the Department and administer comprehensive immigration policy. States through our ports of entry the mission with a deep sense of The third thing will be how to have first contact will be with employees humanity. Ali appreciates that DHS an effective enforcement agency. of DHS after receiving authorization policies have global implications How is he going to turn ICE into from the U.S. Citizenship and and impacts the lives of millions of a humane, effective enforcement Immigration Services within DHS. people and families. He knows that agency? That’s going to take quite a As the former head of that agency, safety comes first, but that safety and bit of work. Ali knows better than anyone compassion aren’t mutually exclusive. how important our ingress and Mr. Burke: His biggest challenge egress system is and how much it I also think it’s important to note will be restoring morale in the has suffered from unpredictable the message the appointment of a Department and re-aligning its policy changes during the Trump Cuban-American sends about how the mission. DHS has become a lost Administration.