Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Delivers Sept. 11 Speech

Dr. Emilio Gonzalez, director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, spoke on Tuesday, Sept. 11 to more than 200 students, faculty and staff at Barry University's School of Law.

Gonzalez’s visit to Barry on the anniversary of the tragic events that took place Sept. 11, 2001 emphasized the importance of his speech at the Law School, in which he discussed the issues of national security and immigration. Besides his speech, Gonzalez also toured the Law School campus and attended a private reception with faculty. This was his first and only visit to a law school.

“We are honored that Dr. Gonzalez chose Barry Law School as the place to talk about these vital issues on the anniversary of 9/11, a date which resonates with all Americans,” said Law School Dean Leticia Diaz. “The issues of national security and immigration are by their very nature invariably intertwined and are more important than ever.”

Gonzalez, a resident of Miami, was appointed by President Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in December 2005. He leads an organization of more than 15,000 federal and contract employees responsible for the accurate, efficient and secure processing of immigration benefits. Gonzalez was also director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council and had a distinguished career in the U.S. Army that spanned 26 years. While in Miami, he had joined the international law firm of Tew Cardenas.