President Obama has announced his intent to nominate Alejandro Mayorkas to serve as the director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The USCIS is the agency within the Department of Homeland Security responsible for overseeing lawful immigration to this country. To that end, the USCIS adjudicates, among other things, the petitions and applications of potential immigrants and guest workers.

Born in Cuba, Mayorkas is currently a litigation partner in a private law firm. Prior to entering private practice, Mayorkas served as the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, where – at the age of 39 – he began as the youngest U.S. Attorney in the country. In this position, Mayorkas prosecuted a wide variety of cases, including those involving public corruption, investment fraud, civil rights violations, high-tech and computer-related crime, organized crime, environmental crime, and international money laundering. In addition, the National Law Journal has named Mayorkas as one of the "50 Most Influential Minority Lawyers in America."