Leon Rodriguez Sworn in as USCIS Director

Leon Rodriguez was sworn in as the new Director of the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on July 9, 2014, following his confirmation by the U.S. Senate in June. Director Rodriquez is the fourth USCIS Director, since the agency was created in 2003.

New Director’s Background

Director Rodriguez was born in Brooklyn, New York to Cuban immigrants. He has extensive legal and governmental experience, which he no doubt will draw upon to lead the agency responsible for many aspects of the U.S. immigration benefits system.

Director Rodriguez’s most recent position was as Director of the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services. He held that position from 2011 to 2014. Immediately prior to that role, he was with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) as Chief of Staff and Deputy Assistant Attorney General for civil rights.

Early in his career, Rodriguez worked for many years as a Senior Assistant District Attorney at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office in New York. He moved from there to a position as a trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division at the DOJ and, later, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania. There, he served as Chief of the White Collar Crimes Section and, then, as first assistant U.S. Attorney. He transitioned to the private sector as a principal in the law firm of Ober, Kaler, Grimes & Shriver and returned to government service as the county attorney for Montgomery County, Maryland. Rodriguez received his B.A. from Brown University and his J.D. from Boston College Law School. This long and varied background should lend itself well to help the new director effectively lead the USCIS.

Conclusion

Director Rodriguez acknowledges that it is “an exciting and challenging time for USCIS,” and that he wants to work together with those using the USCIS to ensure that the agency’s mission is “carried out with fairness and integrity.” The Murthy Law Firm congratulates Director Rodriguez on his new position, and hope that, under his leadership, the USCIS will satisfactorily meet the needs of individuals, families, and employers in the immigration system.

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