United States | Senate confirms Joseph Edlow as USCIS director

The U.S. Senate voted to confirm Joseph Edlow as director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on July 15. The 52-47 vote was divided along party lines.

As USCIS director, Edlow will play a key role in advancing President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda, stating at his May confirmation hearing that “at its core, USCIS must be an immigration enforcement agency, an agency that is dedicated to ever evolving and innovative techniques for screening and vetting its applicant pool.”

During his confirmation hearing, Edlow said he will work with agency leadership “to develop and implement a plan that will leverage an appropriate use of personnel, processes and technology to address the current pending caseload” and “ensure that current USCIS workforce performs its statutory responsibilities.”

Edlow previously served as the acting director of USCIS in the first Trump administration. He will be the seventh director of USCIS following the resignation of former director Ur M. Jaddou.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice Group.

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