A report by Bloomberg Law’s Ellen Gilmer on how employee morale at the Department of Homeland Security is being negatively affected by House Republicans launching an impeachment inquiry into Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over not enforcing immigration laws and not securing the border reveals that DHS workers worship “Santo Mayorkas” with votive candles for his liberal grants of annual leave paid time off from work.
House Republicans’ quest to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas threatens to dishearten the workforce and strain leadership at an agency perennially caught in political crosshairs.
The campaign against the secretary, whose efforts to bolster morale have earned him the moniker “Santo Mayorkas” among many workers, is distracting and potentially disruptive inside the agency, current and former Department of Homeland Security officials warn.
…Mayorkas is a familiar face to DHS’s 260,000-person workforce, having served as deputy secretary and head of US Citizenship and Immigration Services during President Barack Obama’s administration before President Joe Biden tapped him as secretary in 2021.
He’s endeared himself to many workers throughout those assignments with his emphasis on improving the department’s notoriously low morale, said a political appointee granted anonymity to discuss the secretary’s reputation.
Perhaps most appreciated by the rank and file are his liberal grants of extra time off for DHS employees, often around holidays, the appointee said. Federal employees jokingly call him Santa or Santo Mayorkas, with “Patron Saint of Administrative Leave” prayer candles available on eBay and Reddit threads extolling his virtues, though some say he’s trying to buy worker affection.
Fox News reporter Adam Shaw posted a screen grab of the Ebay page selling the “Santo Mayorkas” prayer candles, saying he initially thought they were fake:
Amazing. I saw a picture of these a while ago and assumed they were photoshopped. Nope! https://t.co/cGbUlya5tq pic.twitter.com/OXvlBdHV6f
— Adam Shaw (@AdamShawNY) January 24, 2024
Other instances of “Santo Mayorkas” worship are found on social media accounts of DHS workers:
A Facebook page by “I Love TSA” features this image:
“Santo Mayorkas” challenge coins are also being sold on Amazon as well as eBay.
A commenter on a Reddit thread about “Santo Mayorkas” said, “I pray to him daily!”
Sample of Reddit threads:
“Santa Mayorkas Strikes Agsin (3 Days off for DHS) DHS Secretary Mayorkas just gave everyone in DHS 24 hours of Admin Leave to use anytime before 2023.”
“Santa Mayorkas Does It Again!!! 8 hours of admin leave for DHS employees for the Fourth of July. Not gonna lie I thought he would give 16 but still can’t complain.”
16 hours of admin leave for DHS!
Comments: “That’s a grand total of 95 hours of admin Mayorkas has given since last Labor Day (2021).”; “We need to protect this man at all costs. So far, we’ve been given 24hrs to use by the end of next calendar year.”; “Someone in my office yelled “I love this guy!” right as we got the email about it.”; “We’re about to set up a little altar with a Santo Mayorkas candle over here, bless him”; “Knock knock knock. Oh, good afternoon, do you have a minute to hear about our lord and Savior, Alejandro Mayorkas?”; “Awesome! Mayorkas tosses admin leave out like candy. Love it”
Thread: “8 Hours Admin for DHS Employees! Santa Mayorkas strikes again for DHS 20th anniversary. ‘In recognition of your extraordinary sacrifices and contributions in the service of our country, I am privileged to grant you 8 hours of administrative leave’”
Comments: “My coworker took a whole week of vacation using mayorkas days”; “If he keeps this up, I’m going to have to take off two whole months at some point.”; “Saint Mayorkas really do be giving us all the days off we have to protect him”; “Here’s what I have as a list of all the Mayorkas days/hours. Did I miss any? *S1 Dec Holidays 2021 (24 hrs) *S1 Spring Holidays 2022 (16 hrs) *S1 Memorial Day 2022 (8 hrs) *S1 Thanksgiving 2022 (8 hrs) *S1 Dec Holidays 2022 (16 hrs) *S1 DHS 20th Anniversary 2023 (8 hrs)”; “I think he gave some (maybe 16 hours) for Labor day or Veterans day in 2021, I used it for Thanksgiving.”
