L. Francis Cissna
L. Francis Cissna | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services | |
| Assumed office October 8, 2017 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Leon Rodriguez |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Lee Francis Cissna July 5, 1966 Silver Spring, Maryland |
| Education | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (BS) Columbia University (MA) Georgetown University (JD) |
Lee Francis Cissna (born July 5, 1966) is an American lawyer and government official who is the Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.[1] Prior to assuming his current role, he was the Director of Immigration Policy in the Office of Policy of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Education
Cissna graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in physics and political science. He also attended Columbia University and obtained a Master of Arts (M.A.) in international affairs, as well as Georgetown University Law Center, where he received his Juris Doctor (J.D.).[2]
Career
Public sector
Cissna worked at the U.S. Department of State, serving as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer stationed in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and Stockholm, Sweden. He also worked in the Office of the Chief Counsel under U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.[2][3]
Cissna was the Director of Immigration Policy in the Office of Policy of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, were he created and administed policy focused on immigration benefits programs, including with respect to temporary workers and immigrants.[2] He was also Chair of the OECD Working Party on Migration.[4]
Private sector
Cissna was an attorney at the law firm of Kaufman & Canoles in Richmond, Virginia, working in the immigration group. He also practiced law at Steptoe & Johnson LLP and Kirkpatrick & Lockhart LLP in their international trade practice group.[2]
USCIS Director
Nomination
On April 8, 2017, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Cissna as Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.[5] That agency is under the Department of Homeland Security, where Cissna currently works as director of immigration policy in the Office of Policy.[6]
The Trump administration has been interested in Cissna due to his work on the displacement of U.S. workers by foreign workers on H-1B visas. Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, stated that Cissna is "very knowledgeable about the immigration system" and knows "all of the wrinkles of this stuff."[3]
On April 25, 2017, Cissna's nomination was received in the U.S. Senate and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.[7] He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 5, 2017.[8]
Activities
- Attending Expert, Institute for the Study of International Migration, "Highly Skilled Migration: STEM Supply and Policy Challenges," Georgetown University, 2014
References
- ^ https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Cissna%20SJC%20Questionnaire%20Public.pdf
- ^ a b c d "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Lee Francis Cissna to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services". whitehouse.gov. 2017-04-08. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
- ^ a b "Trump Nominating Francis Cissna to Head Immigration Agency". www.bna.com. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
- ^ "Conclusions of the Chair" (PDF). www.oecd.org. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ "Trump to nominate DHS official to lead US Citizenship and Immigration Services". Washington Examiner. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ "Trump nominates Lee Francis Cissna as Immigration Services chief". Deccan Chronicle. 2017-04-09. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ "PN352 - Nomination of Lee Francis Cissna for Department of Homeland Security, 115th Congress (2017-2018)". www.congress.gov. 2017-04-25. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
- ^ Cairny, Jordain (October 5, 2017). "Senate votes to confirm key Trump immigration official". The Hill. Retrieved 5 October 2017.