[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 14598-14599]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS

  Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, today I wish to express my profound 
appreciation and best wishes to my friend, Alejandro Mayorkas, who 
recently stepped down as the Deputy Secretary of the Department of 
Homeland Security. During his 7 years of public service at DHS, Ali has 
been a dedicated and thoughtful leader and was instrumental to the 
advancement and accomplishments at the Department.
  Ali arrived at DHS in 2009 with an already impressive record in 
public service which included over 20 years of distinguished service in 
law enforcement. As an assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District 
of California, he aggressively prosecuted drug traffickers, human 
smugglers, and violent criminals. As U.S. attorney for the Central 
District of California, he led the largest Federal judicial office in 
the United States and was appointed by then Attorney General Janet Reno 
to serve on her advisory committee on ethics and government. Ali 
continued his public service as the Director of U.S. Citizenship and 
Immigration Services, USCIS, where he oversaw a $3 billion annual 
budget and led a workforce of 18,000 individuals. To that end, Ali's 
accomplishments as the USCIS Director included the development of the 
special parole program which worked to rescue children who tragically 
lost their parents to the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti. He 
continued his humanitarian efforts and dedication to help orphan 
children by creating a program that allowed international adoption of 
orphans in Guatemala. These stunning achievements have been widely 
praised by many who have had the honor to work alongside Ali.
  In his most recent role as Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, Ali 
served as the second-in-command of the third largest Department in the 
U.S. Government. In this role, Ali ensured that a $60 billion budget 
was spent wisely and effectively, while at the same time leading a 
workforce of nearly 230,000 individuals. Like a true leader, Ali 
understands the importance of taking care of the Department's employees 
and recognizes that they are its greatest asset. He worked tirelessly 
to increase employee morale and, for the last few years, was 
particularly focused on improving employee engagement with senior 
leaders. His steadfast dedication to this effort, along with those of 
Secretary Jeh Johnson, resulted in rising employee satisfaction at DHS 
this past year. Ali's commitment to making the Department a more 
unified entity is yet another example of his extraordinary ability to

[[Page 14599]]

mobilize, manage, and lead people with integrity and selflessness.
  Ali's achievements are not limited to domestic operations. As the 
highest ranking Cuban American in the Obama administration, Ali secured 
the first homeland security agreement with the Government of Cuba, 
allowing increased trade, sea and air travel, and tourism between the 
two nations. His work to facilitate international trade, redesign the 
Nation's refugee admissions process, and enhance the Visa Waiver 
Program has resulted in many successful international partnerships.
  In order to ensure our Nation's protection in cyber security, Ali has 
worked closely with international leaders to promote cyber security 
research and innovation, which has ultimately created a more reliable 
and effective cyber space at home and abroad. For instance, Ali led 
delegations in negotiating a cyber security partnership with the State 
of Israel, as well as the Department's negotiation of a cyber security 
agreement with China. These efforts and others have been fundamental to 
the protection of our Nation's cyber community.
  Under his leadership, the Department's key counterterrorism efforts 
have been significantly strengthened. Ali improved national security 
vetting protocols, enhanced aviation and border security, and 
distributed counterterrorism intelligence to State, local, and tribal 
law enforcement. This collaboration has enhanced the Federal 
Government's national security partnership with first responders and 
has allowed for a more reliable and fruitful system.
  During a time filled with constant threats and endangerments, Ali has 
continually proven to be a vital leader of DHS operations, ultimately 
ensuring that our Nation is a safe and secure place. I wish Ali, his 
wife, Tanya, and their family all the best in this next chapter in 
their lives. I sincerely thank him for his invaluable service to the 
Department and to our Nation.

                          ____________________