Kirstjen Nielsen nominated to head DHS

President Donald Trump has nominated White House aide Kirstjen Nielsen to head the Department of Homeland Security.

Nielsen is currently serving as a deputy to John Kelly, who served as secretary of Homeland Security from January until July when he became White House chief of staff. Since July, DHS has been headed by acting director Elaine Duke.

If confirmed by the Senate, Nielsen will oversee many of the agencies responsible for administering the country’s immigration programs, including legal immigration under U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, border controls under U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and interior immigration enforcement under Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Nielsen previously worked as a Homeland Security official in the George W. Bush administration and is an expert in cybersecurity.

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

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