Alejandro Mayorkas

Nation’s Leading Latino Civil Rights Organization Says Alejandro Mayorkas Will Restore Trust and Respect

Washington, DC - The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) on Tuesday issued the following statement in support of President-Elect Biden’s pick to lead the nation’s third largest government agency.

Domingo Garcia – LULAC National President
“There are enormous tasks to confront and we are confident that Secretary Mayorkas will be prepared to undertake them successfully. One of them is working with President Biden in the first 100 days to extend the program known as Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA) for 800,000 young adults who entered the United States as minors and are qualified to receive protection against forced removal from the country. In addition, Mayorkas’ background in the United States Department of Justice reflects a track record of fighting human trafficking, prosecuting major drug crimes as well as going after white collar criminals. These decisive actions demonstrate his clear principles and integrity in applying the law. LULAC is confident Secretary Mayorkas will help restore stability and respect to DHS and we look forward to working with him.”

Sindy Benavides - LULAC National Chief Executive Officer
“This is a landmark moment in our country’s history because nominee Mayorkas, a good friend and ally of LULAC for years, will be the first immigrant to ever hold this critical position. Once confirmed, he will oversee our immigration and border laws plus be responsible for our security on the seas, in the air as well as protecting us against increasing cyber-threats. Alejandro brings extensive professional experience having served as deputy secretary of homeland security under President Barack Obama. In addition he has the personal attributes as someone who was brought from Cuba as an infant and grew up in the U.S., living the immigrant experience. I am confident that he can understand on a very personal level what millions of men, women, and children are facing whether they are asylum seekers, refugees or applicants navigating their way through the naturalization process.”

 

Overcrowding, Rotten Food & Nooses: DHS Watchdog Confirms Horrific Condi...

Conflict at the Border

What’s happening with asylum-seekers at the border?Nation Nov 26, 2018 6:45 PM EST. pbs newshour

The busiest port of entry along the southwest border was shut down by U.S. immigration officials this past weekend after hundreds of Central American migrants hoping to declare asylum attempted to cross fencing that separates Mexico and the U.S.

U.S. agents responded to the breach, as well as reports of rocks and bottles thrown by protesters at the border, by firing tear gas at the thousands of Central American migrants who had gathered near the San Ysidro border crossing in Tijuana, Mexico, for a demonstration.

Images showing families fleeing tear gas prompted outrage from some American lawmakers and advocates about the growing violence against migrants seeking asylum in the U.S.

The Department of Homeland Security said it was responding to “lawlessness.” And President Donald Trump urged Mexican officials to move the migrants away from the border.

Here’s a closer look at what’s happening at the border.
What happened


Migrants cover their faces, as they run from tear gas, thrown by the U.S border patrol near the fence between Mexico and the United States in Tijuana, Mexico. Photo by Hannah McKay/Reuters

The number of Central American migrants seeking asylum from their home countries has been growing in Tijuana. Since the first members of the caravan arrived a couple weeks ago, the group amassed in the border city has grown to about 5,000 people.

This is the same group — made up of migrants who originally started their journey together in Honduras — that Trump characterized as an “invasion” ahead of the U.S. 2018 midterm elections. Having traveled northward toward the border for weeks, the caravan has grown increasingly frustrated with long wait times for their asylum claims since arriving in Tijuana. The waiting list for asylum claims had 3,000 names on it before the caravan arrived, the Associated Press reported, adding the San Ysidro center is processing fewer than 100 claims a day.

DHS guidance on immigration enforcement executive orders

Civil Rights Groups Condemn New Deportation Rules

LULAC Condemns DHS Memos That Set the Stage for Mass Deportations

Enforcement Priorities Apply to Almost Every Undocumented Immigrant. Feb. 20, 2017

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a series of memos detailing the enforcement procedures for President Trump’s executive orders on immigration and border security.

Under the new guidance, the Department of Homeland Security has effectively ended the Obama-era focus on deporting the most dangerous criminal aliens and has replaced it with a policy that makes almost every undocumented immigrant an enforcement priority. Those accused or even suspected of breaking the law will now be targeted for deportation without a trial. Due process protections and access to our judicial system are dramatically eroded with the expansion of “expedited removal” to the entire country.

“The new guidelines could result in the deportation of millions, including the non-threatening hardworking immigrants that President Trump has said he wants to help,” said LULAC National President Roger C. Rocha, Jr. “Without prioritization, criminal felons will be lost in the hunt for harmless undocumented immigrants whose only infraction is seeking a better life for themselves and their families.”

Although the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) and the Deferred Action for Parental Accountability program (DAPA) remain intact, the memo indicates that further guidance for these programs will be provided in the future and notes that the DAPA program is currently blocked by the courts. In addition, the memo establishes the Victims of Immigration Crime Enforcement (VOICE) Office in order to report crimes committed by undocumented immigrants.