PRESS RELEASE
December 20, 2013

LATINO LEADERS CELEBRATE CONFIRMATION OF ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS AS DEPUTY SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Large Number of NO Votes Will Be Duly Noted in Congressional Scorecard

Washington, D.C. -- The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, a coalition of the nation's 36 preeminent national Latino organizations, today congratulates Alejandro Mayorkas on his confirmation as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

The final vote to confirm Mayorkas was held this morning, and his confirmation passed by a vote of 54 - 41. Mayorkas was first nominated to serve as Deputy Secretary of DHS in June. Last week, the Senate's Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee voted to advance his nomination to the full Senate floor for a vote with a 9-0 vote.

Mayorkas joins Labor Secretary Thomas Perez and Office of Personnel Management Director Katherine Archuleta as one of the highest-ranking Senate-confirmed Latino appointees in the President's second-term administration.

Looking forward to seeing Mr. Mayorkas assume his new role, NHLA member organizations offered the following reactions:

Hector E. Sanchez, NHLA Chair and Executive Director of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, stated: "We look forward to Alejandro Mayorkas assuming his role as the newly-confirmed Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. The upcoming year will be especially critical for Latino and immigrant communities as we continue to press forward our call for solutions to help ease the hardships felt by our nation's broken immigration system. In his public service roles as USCIS Director and U.S. Attorney in Central California Mayorkas developed a keen experience balancing the rule of law with a compassionate approach. He brings the right leadership to DHS at a much-needed time."

"We are excited that Mr. Alejandro Mayorkas will be confirmed by the Senate and congratulate him on his new position as the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security. His experience will no doubt help enhance the Department's Core Missions; Prevent terrorism; Secure and manage our borders; Enforce and administer our immigration laws; Safeguard and secure cyberspace and Ensure resilience to disasters. We are looking forward to working with him and establishing a long and fruitful relationship with the DHS especially as it relates to Hispanics in the Federal Workforce," stated Al Gallegos, National President of the National Association of Hispanic Federal Executives.

"We applaud the U.S. Senate for confirming Alejandro Mayorkas as the nation’s next Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security,” stated Arturo Vargas, NALEO Educational Fund Executive Director. “Mayorkas’ distinguished career exemplifies the deep commitment and wealth of talent that Latinos bring to the highest levels of public service each and every day. Given his extensive experience and unique expertise, we know Mayorkas will represent the Latino community in an exemplary fashion as he continues to work to make America stronger through his post at the Department of Homeland Security.”

“The Senate’s confirmation today of Alejandro Mayorkas is a welcomed but long-overdue development, said Janet Murguia, President and CEO, NCLR. “Throughout his tenure at the Department of Homeland Security, Mayorkas has been eminently fair, exceptionally thoughtful, and highly effective. He deserves this promotion and the country deserves to have him on the job as soon as possible.”

Now that Mayorkas is confirmed, NHLA will continue to monitor the nomination process for other highly qualified nominees like Myrna Perez, who was initially nominated to serve on the Election Assistance Commission in 2011 and had a nomination hearing before the Senate Rules and Administration Committee last week.

“We're pleased Senators finally confirmed Alejandro Mayorkas and believe they must move swiftly to confirm Myrna Perez as well. Both nominees have proven to be highly qualified for their positions and we see no need for additional delays," said Juan Cartagena, President and General Counsel, LatinoJustice PRLDEF. "LatinoJustice PRLDEF is particularly supportive of the candidacy of Ms. Perez, a proven voting rights attorney that has worked closely with us to ensure equal political participation for all Latino voters.”

NHLA's prior statements and letters in support of Mayorkas are posted at http://nationalhispanicleadership.org/confirmmayorkas.

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Established in 1991, the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA) brings together Hispanic leaders to establish policy priorities that address, and raise public awareness of, the major issues affecting the Latino community and the nation as a whole.

In January, the coalition launched its new Latino Appointments Program to identify and support junior to Cabinet-level Latino candidates pursuing presidential and state-level appointments. For more information, please visit www.latinoappointments.org and follow @NHLAgenda.

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