Statement: Senator Kelly Votes to Confirm Alejandro Mayorkas as DHS Secretary

Kelly spoke with Mayorkas about priorities including ports, vaccinations for CBP officers

Today, United States Senator and retired Navy Captain Mark Kelly voted to confirm Alejandro Mayorkas to serve as the next Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Over the weekend, Kelly spoke with Mayorkas about the urgent need to get COVID-19 vaccinations to Customs and Border Patrol Officers and personnel working on the border and the critical need to ensure smart and strong border security that keeps communities safe and strengthens our economy, like modernizing and upgrading our Ports of Entry – both issues raised during Kelly’s visit to the border in January. After that visit, Kelly wrote to the Department of Health and Human Services urging them to coordinate on-site vaccinations for CBP officers at field offices and ports of entry. Kelly and Mayorkas also spoke about the importance of restoring damage done by wall construction in environmentally sensitive areas of Arizona.

“I want to congratulate Secretary Mayorkas on today’s historic and bipartisan confirmation. When I spoke with him a few days ago, I shared the unique challenges facing border communities and the burdens our state often faces due to a broken immigration system. I encouraged Secretary Mayorkas to partner closely with local stakeholders in Arizona to secure the border, improve trade, and protect Arizona’s natural resources and way of life. I look forward to working with him on these priorities and to fix our broken immigration system in a way that is fair and humane and helps rebuild our economy.” – Senator Kelly