Immigration Hawk’s Confirmation for USCIS Post Stalled in GOP-Controlled Senate

Despite a Republican-controlled U.S. Senate, President Donald Trump’s pick to head the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) agency has still yet to be confirmed.

Lee Francis Cissna, the immigration hawk who previously worked for Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA), remains one of the Trump Administration’s top picks who is still not confirmed, despite a reputation of being an expert on immigration issues.

“It is appalling that the Senate has been so slow in confirming President Trump’s nominees and the Democrats’ unprecedented obstruction has to stop,” NumbersUSA’s Rosemary Jenks told Breitbart Texas.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) announced weeks ago that if the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not approve more low-skilled H-2B foreign guest workers to be imported this fiscal year, he would hold up Cissna’s nomination.

DHS Secretary John Kelly announced an additional 15,000 low-skilled foreign workers would be allowed to come to the U.S. on the H-2B visa, adding to the already 66,000 who come every year, prompting Tillis to lift his hold on Cissna.

Cissna’s confirmation remains without any clear signal of when he would begin to helm USCIS.

Cissna was previously attacked by the media outlet ProPublica, which is funded in part by George Soros, as Breitbart Texas reported.

Center for Immigration Studies Director Mark Krikorian previously told Breitbart Texas that Cissna is the “first person ever” to be nominated to run USCIS who is actually qualified for the position.

“He’s uniquely qualified. He’s been an immigration lawyer,” Krikorian said. “He’s been in charge of immigration policy for DHS, even under Obama.”

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.