Washington, DC—This afternoon, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and a bipartisan delegation from the U.S. Conference of Mayors met virtually to discuss critical issues facing American cities. The Secretary and the mayors discussed the need to rebuild the immigration system to make it more just and compassionate, address current immigrant resettlement needs in cities and reopen the borders for nonessential travel as soon as it is safe to do so. They also covered the current heightened threat environment and the need to share intelligence with city officials and help cities guard against cyber attacks. The mayors thanked Secretary Mayorkas for the administration’s efforts to make working with local leaders a priority, and the Secretary and the Conference pledged to continue an ongoing dialogue.
Mayors participating in the meeting included:
- Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, USCM President
- Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot
- Tampa Mayor Jane Castor
- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
- Mesa Mayor John Giles
- Providence (RI) Mayor Jorge Elorza
- San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria
- Columbia (SC) Mayor Steve Benjamin
- Burnsville (MN) Mayor Elizabeth Kautz
- Rochester Hills (MI) Mayor Bryan Barnett
- Austin Mayor Steve Adler