Foto: Benjamin Applebaum
Alejandro Mayorkas was born in Havana, Cuba, on November 24, 1959, and arrived in the United States as a refugee with his family after the Cuban Revolution. He grew up in Miami, Florida, and then in Los Angeles, California, where he attended Beverly Hills High School. Mayorkas graduated with honors from the University of California, Berkeley, before earning his Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School.
His career has included prominent positions as United States Attorney for the Central District of California during the Clinton administration, where he oversaw trials of major criminal cases and excelled in the prosecution of white-collar crimes. Later, during the Obama administration, he held various positions in the Department of Homeland Security, including Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and Assistant Secretary.
Mayorkas was confirmed as Secretary of Homeland Security after a series of Senate hearings and votes in 2021, despite some controversy surrounding his appointment, including allegations of favoritism in foreign investor visa cases during his tenure at USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services).
