Alejandro Mayorkas

Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at the Department of Homeland Security (since August 2009)

(O'Melveny and Meyers)

Why He Matters

Mayorkas is "so personable and sweet - I think [he] should run for office," Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss told Los Angeles Magazine in 2000. That's high praise for a man who was fighting to get Fleiss ten years in jail and a good indication of the Cuban-born lawyer's popularity around California. The former U.S. attorney for southern California received high marks for his work on civil rights and fraud cases. After leaving public service in 2001, Mayorkas continued to do significant pro-bono work at O'Melveny and Meyers, and was named one of the 50 most influential minority lawyers in 2008.

His fans say he will bring his leadership skills to the Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is struggling with a tremendous backlog of cases. However, his critics charge that Mayorkas made a big ethical misstep when he lobbied President Clinton for the pardon of a drug dealer whose father had donated a quarter of a million dollars to California politicians and question whether he should have gotten the immigration job.

In Their Own Words

“My mission is to ensure justice is done, and part of my job is knowing when not to prosecute,” Mayorkas said in 2001.

More on: Alejandro Mayorkas

At a Glance
Path to Power
The Issues
The Network
Campaign Contributions
Additional Resources

Corrections?

Background

At a Glance

Career History: Partner, O'Melveny and Meyers (2001 to 2009); U.S. Attorney, Southern California (1998 to 2001); Assistant U.S. Attorney (1991 to 1998)
Birthday: Nov. 24, 1959
Hometown: Havana, Cuba

Alma Mater: UCLA, B.A., 1979; Loyola Law School, J.D., 1985
Spouse: Tanya
Web site

Path to Power

Mayorkas was born in Havana, Cuba, on Nov. 24, 1959, but his family moved to Beverly Hills, Calif. when Mayorkas was one-year-old.

In high school, Mayorkas was co-captain of the tennis team and president of the junior class. He graduated from University of Los Angeles in 1979 and then earned his J.D. from Loyola Law School in 1985.

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The Issues

If confirmed, Mayorkas will face a slew of challenges. As many as 12 million immigrants are living in the country illegally, and Mayorkas will likely be asked to try to develop a comprehensive approach for processing their citizenship requests. The Office on Immigration and Citizenship has also been criticized for delays, backlogs and a lack of modern technology, problems that Mayorkas will be required to address in his first months in office.

Civil Rights

Mayorkas has been a strong voice for civil rights. As a U.S. attorney for southern California, he founded a Civil Rights section to focus specifically on hate crimes and discrimination. He also served as vice-chair of the Attorney General's Advisory Subcommittee on Civil Rights and as a member of the Subcommittee on Ethics in Government.

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The Network

Mayorkas is close to Attorney General Eric Holder, who is rumored to have advocated for Mayorkas' hire. He has also long been supported by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who recommended that Mayorkas be appointed as U.S. attorney for southern California.

Campaign Contributions

Mayorkas is an active Democratic donor. He has raised money for Feinstein and gave $2,300 to President Barack Obama. He also volunteered for his campaign, working a phone bank.

Additional Resources