Trump to nominate new USCIS director

President Donald Trump intends to nominate Lee Francis Cissna as the new director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, according to a White House announcement Saturday.

USCIS, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, is responsible for processing immigration-related applications and ­­­­petitions.

Cissna currently serves as director of immigration policy in the DHS Office of Policy. He previously worked in the Office of the Chief Counsel of USCIS, practiced corporate immigration law in Virginia, and served as a foreign services officer in the State Department, stationed in Haiti and Sweden. Cissna holds a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, a master’s of international affairs from Columbia University, and a B.S. in physics and political science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

If confirmed, Cissna will replace James McCament, who has been the acting director since March.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice group. For additional information, please contact BerryApplemanLeiden@bal.com.

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