Difference between revisions of "Alejandro Mayorkas"

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'''Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas''' is an American lawyer and government official serving as the seventh United States [[Secretary of Homeland Security]] since February 2, 2021. During the [[Obama administration]], he also served in the [[Department of Homeland Security]], first as Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (2009–2013), and then as Deputy Secretary (2013–2016).
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Born in Havana, [[Cuba]], his family fled shortly after the [[Cuban Revolution]] to [[Florida]] and later settled in California. He graduated from [[UC Berkeley]] in history with honors, subsequently earning his J.D. from [[Loyola Marymount University]].
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==Commutation of the prison sentence of Carlos Vignali==
 
==Commutation of the prison sentence of Carlos Vignali==
Mayorkas was the United States Attorney for the [[Central District of California]] from 1998 to 2001.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://articles.latimes.com/2009/may/01/nation/na-mayorkas1 | work=Los Angeles Times | first=Josh | last=Meyer | title=Alejandro Mayorkas tapped to head immigration agency | date=May 1, 2009}}</ref>  According to the Washington Post, this job involved overseeing prosecutions for public corruption, immigration, narcotics trafficking and money laundering.<ref name="Fox2010">{{cite news|url=http://views.washingtonpost.com/leadership/fedcoach/2010/07/immigration-services-head-from-havana-to-washington-dc.html|title=Immigration Services head: From Havana to Washington D.C.|publisher=The Washington Post|date=July 21, 2010|accessdate=July 10, 2012|author=Fox, Tom}}</ref>
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Mayorkas was the United States Attorney for the [[Central District of California]] from 1998 to 2001.<ref>http://articles.latimes.com/2009/may/01/nation/na-mayorkas1</ref>  According to the Washington Post, this job involved overseeing prosecutions for public corruption, immigration, narcotics trafficking and money laundering.<ref name="Fox2010">http://views.washingtonpost.com/leadership/fedcoach/2010/07/immigration-services-head-from-havana-to-washington-dc.html</ref>
  
In 2001, Mayorkas was criticized by the [[House Committee on Government Reform]] for his involvement in the commutation of the prison sentence of [[Carlos Vignali]], who had served six years of a fifteen-year sentence for his role in a drug-trafficking operation when he was granted clemency by the then-United-States-President [[Bill Clinton]],<ref name="Rohrlich2002">{{cite news|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2002/mar/26/news/mn-34745|title=Informants Named Vignali's Father|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=March 26, 2002|accessdate=July 10, 2012|author=Rohrlich, Ted}}</ref> one of 176 [[Bill Clinton pardon controversy|commutations and pardons]] performed by Clinton during his last few hours in office.<ref name="DailyNews2009">{{cite web|url=http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_12271912?source=rv|title=Obama picks Alejandro Mayorkas to head Immigration agency|publisher=Daily News, Los Angeles|date=May 1, 2009|accessdate=July 10, 2012}}</ref>
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In 2001, Mayorkas was criticized by the [[House Committee on Government Reform]] for his involvement in the commutation of the prison sentence of [[Carlos Vignali]], who had served six years of a fifteen-year sentence for his role in a drug-trafficking operation when he was granted clemency by the then-United-States-President [[Bill Clinton]],<ref name="Rohrlich2002">http://articles.latimes.com/2002/mar/26/news/mn-34745</ref> one of 176 [[Bill Clinton pardon controversy|commutations and pardons]] performed by Clinton during his last few hours in office.<ref name="DailyNews2009">http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_12271912?source=rv</ref>
  
According to ''Politico'', Mayorkas had phoned the White House to argue that Vignali should be released, apparently in answer to a request by Vignali's father, a well-known Los Angeles businessman.<ref name="BudoffBrown2008">{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15651.html|title=Clinton scandal figure on Justice team|publisher=Politico|date=November 14, 2008|accessdate=July 10, 2012|author=Carrie Budoff Brown}}</ref> Unknown to Mayorkas, Vignali's father had been suspected of drug trafficking by federal law enforcement, but there had never been enough evidence to bring a case against him. Mayorkas apologized, saying, "It is reasonable to expect that someone in my position would do his or her due diligence to learn that information, ... I made a mistake."<ref name="Rohrlich2002"/>
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According to ''Politico'', Mayorkas had phoned the White House to argue that Vignali should be released, apparently in answer to a request by Vignali's father, a well-known Los Angeles businessman.<ref name="BudoffBrown2008">http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15651.html</ref> Unknown to Mayorkas, Vignali's father had been suspected of [[drug trafficking]] by federal law enforcement, but there had never been enough evidence to bring a case against him. Mayorkas apologized, saying, "It is reasonable to expect that someone in my position would do his or her due diligence to learn that information, ... I made a mistake."<ref name="Rohrlich2002"/>
  
 
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Revision as of 15:12, 18 May 2021

Person.png Alejandro Mayorkas   SourcewatchRdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
(lawyer)
Alejandro Mayorkas2.jpg
Born1959-11-24
Havana, Cuba
Alma materUC Berkeley, Loyola Law School
Member ofCouncil on Foreign Relations/Members 2
PartyDemocratic
A lawyer connected to Bill Clinton's 'Pardongate' episode

Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas is an American lawyer and government official serving as the seventh United States Secretary of Homeland Security since February 2, 2021. During the Obama administration, he also served in the Department of Homeland Security, first as Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (2009–2013), and then as Deputy Secretary (2013–2016).

Born in Havana, Cuba, his family fled shortly after the Cuban Revolution to Florida and later settled in California. He graduated from UC Berkeley in history with honors, subsequently earning his J.D. from Loyola Marymount University.

Commutation of the prison sentence of Carlos Vignali

Mayorkas was the United States Attorney for the Central District of California from 1998 to 2001.[1] According to the Washington Post, this job involved overseeing prosecutions for public corruption, immigration, narcotics trafficking and money laundering.[2]

In 2001, Mayorkas was criticized by the House Committee on Government Reform for his involvement in the commutation of the prison sentence of Carlos Vignali, who had served six years of a fifteen-year sentence for his role in a drug-trafficking operation when he was granted clemency by the then-United-States-President Bill Clinton,[3] one of 176 commutations and pardons performed by Clinton during his last few hours in office.[4]

According to Politico, Mayorkas had phoned the White House to argue that Vignali should be released, apparently in answer to a request by Vignali's father, a well-known Los Angeles businessman.[5] Unknown to Mayorkas, Vignali's father had been suspected of drug trafficking by federal law enforcement, but there had never been enough evidence to bring a case against him. Mayorkas apologized, saying, "It is reasonable to expect that someone in my position would do his or her due diligence to learn that information, ... I made a mistake."[3]


 

Events Participated in

EventStartEndLocation(s)Description
Munich Security Conference/202317 February 202319 February 2023Germany
Munich
Bavaria
Annual conference of mid-level functionaries from the military-industrial complex - politicians, propagandists and lobbyists. The real decisions are made by deep politicians behind the scenes, elsewhere.
Munich Security Conference/202416 February 202418 February 2024Germany
Munich
Bavaria
Annual conference of mid-level functionaries from the military-industrial complex - politicians, propagandists and lobbyists - in their own bubble, far from the concerns of their subjects
Many thanks to our Patrons who cover ~2/3 of our hosting bill. Please join them if you can.


References


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