“We have asylum laws that provide humanitarian relief. Those who qualify under those laws are entitled to the relief that we extend. Those who do not, will not be able to remain in our country. And we can effectively implement both responsibilities and both opportunities to be both a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants.”

American attorney and government official

Alejandro Mayorkas is an American attorney and government official who served as the seventh United States Secretary of Homeland Security from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been a prominent figure in federal immigration and homeland security work. Before leading the department, Mayorkas directed United States Citizenship and Immigration Services from 2009 to 2013. He then served as the sixth deputy secretary of homeland security from 2013 to 2016, roles that placed him at the center of immigration policy and the broader administration of homeland security.