DHS Deputy Secretary Announces Move to Private Sector

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Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced he will leave the agency at the end of October.

The Department of Homeland Security is losing its No. 2 to the private sector.

Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced he will leave the agency for a position with law firm WilmerHale. Mayorkas has been deputy secretary since December 2003, and previously served as the U.S. Customs and Immigration Service director.

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"It has been a privilege and an honor to serve the American people as deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. It has been the opportunity of a lifetime," Mayorkas said in a WilmerHale statement.

Homeland Security Jeh Johnson in a statement credited Mayorkas with focusing on employee engagement efforts and an increased employee satisfaction score on the most recent Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey.

Russ Deyo, undersecretary for management, will serve as acting deputy secretary starting Oct. 29.