Alejandro
Mayorkas, US Secretary for Homeland Security, tested positive for COVID-19 on
Tuesday, the Department said. He has already been vaccinated against the virus.

“Secretary
Mayorkas tested positive this morning for the COVID-19 virus after taking a
test as part of routine pre-travel protocols. Secretary Mayorkas is
experiencing only mild congestion; he is fully vaccinated and will isolate and
work at home per CDC protocols and medical advice. Contact tracing is
underway,” department spokesperson Marsha Espinosa said in a statement
through her Twitter handle.

The
secretary was scheduled to travel to Colombia along with Secretary of State
Antony Blinken, but is now isolating and working from home. He was also slated to make an appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

Mayorkas is the first Latino and immigrant to serve as the US secretary for Homeland Security. He was sworn into his position in February and has dealt with the rise in crossings at the US-Mexico border, the Haitian immigration crisis, and many more challenging issues.

Born November 24, 1959, Mayorkas‘ family fled for Florida shortly after the Cuban Revolution and later settled in California. He graduated from UC Berkeley in history with honors, and earned his Juris Doctor from Loyola Marymount University.

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Mayorkas was a member of the presidential transition team for Barack Obama, leading the team responsible for the US Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Mayorkas implemented the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) process in two months. In 2008, The National Law Journal named Mayorkas one of the “50 Most Influential Minority Lawyers in America.”