DHS Secretary on Entry of Lawful Permanent Residents

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary, John Kelly, released a statement on the entry of Lawful Permanent Residents into the United States. On January 29, 2017, he said the following:

"In applying the provisions of the president's executive order, I hereby deem the entry of lawful permanent residents (LPRs) to be in the national interest." He went on to say that without evidence of any "significant derogatory information" indicating a serious threat to public welfare and safety, LPR status will be a "dispositive factor in our case-by-case determinations."

Secretary John Kelly

Kelly was sworn in on January 20, 2017. As Secretary of Homeland Security, he now leads the third largest federal department in the United States. The Department of Homeland Security includes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the U.S. Secret Service.

Prior to joining the Department of Homeland Security, Secretary Kelly served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 45 years, ending his career as the Commander of the United States Southern Command in 2016.