US Senate approves new Homeland Security Department secretary

The US Senate on Feb. 2 approved the nomination of Alejandro Mayorkas to become secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), confirming the former federal prosecutor and Obama-era immigration official to lead the department by a vote of 56 to 43, Report informs, referring to CBS News.

Six Republican senators - Susan Collins, Mitt Romney, Dan Sullivan, Shelley Moore Capito, Lisa Murkowski, and Rob Portman - joined Democrats in voting to approve the nomination.

Portman is the top Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which has oversight authority over the department.

As secretary of the sprawling department, Mayorkas will be tasked with tackling some of the nation's most pressing issues, including the coronavirus pandemic, domestic terrorism, cyberattacks, and migration to the US southern border.

DHS is responsible for a diverse range of federal functions, ranging from immigration and border policy to transportation security and natural disaster management.