On June 29, 2013, President Obama announced his nomination of Alejandro Mayorkas, the Director of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), for the position of Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Currently, Mayorkas is responsible for the management and granting of citizenship benefits while ensuring the integrity of the immigration system, preventing fraud, protecting national security, providing information to customers and promoting awareness of the citizenship process. After four years in the role of Director, his new role will include managing the day-to-day operations of Homeland Security, including its 208,000+ employees and (approx.) $48.5 billion budget.

During Mayorkas’ tenure as USCIS Director, he made the EB-5 program a priority, with a focus on improving the review and approval processes. The EB-5 process is an expansive combination of petitions, tax returns, supporting documentation and due diligence. Immigration attorneys, paralegals, real estate professionals and analysts and more are involved in the steps to obtaining green cards for immigrants who invest in American projects.

“Mr. Mayorkas will be missed by EB-5 professionals across the nation,” states US Immigration Fund Vice President Nicholas Mastroianni III. “His focus on improving the EB-5 program helped spotlight the benefits of investment-based immigration and spur reform in areas that needed help. Without his support and guidance, EB-5 immigration may not have received the level of attention it has over the past year, which has helped improve the livelihoods of not only investors and their families, but the economies in which their investments are located.”

Mastroianni adds, “We congratulate him on his nomination for Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.”