Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement after speaking with Alejandro Mayorkas, President-elect Biden’s nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security:

“I had an excellent conversation today with Alejandro Mayorkas, President-elect Biden’s nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security. I believe Ali is uniquely qualified to lead DHS and would hit the ground running.

“Ali has a broad range of experience that prepares him for this position. He served as a U.S. attorney in California before becoming director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and then deputy secretary at DHS. Our conversation today made clear that he has a clear grasp of the challenges that DHS faces, especially after four years of the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

“An immigrant himself, Ali brings a unique perspective to fixing our broken immigration system. He also led the Obama administration’s response to the Ebola and Zika virus outbreaks, experience that would prove invaluable as he leads DHS’s response to the current pandemic.

“The department has gone without a confirmed secretary for almost two years and needs real hands-on leadership. Ali’s nomination is a welcomed return to competence and experience at DHS, and I look forward to his confirmation.”