Ken Cuccinelli

Ken Cuccinelli
Official portrait, 2019
Senior Official Performing the Duties of the United States Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security[1]
De facto, unlawful
In office November 13, 2019 – January 20, 2021
President	Donald Trump
Preceded by	David Pekoske
Succeeded by	David Pekoske (acting)
Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services[1]
De facto, unlawful
In office June 10, 2019 – January 20, 2021[2][3]
President	Donald Trump
Preceded by	L. Francis Cissna
Succeeded by	Tracy Renaud (acting)
Principal Deputy Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
In office June 10, 2019 – January 20, 2021
President	Donald Trump
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Office abolished
46th Attorney General of Virginia
In office January 16, 2010 – January 11, 2014
Governor	Bob McDonnell
Preceded by	Bill Mims
Succeeded by	Mark Herring
Member of the Virginia Senate from the 37th district
In office August 19, 2002 – January 12, 2010
Preceded by	Warren E. Barry
Succeeded by	David W. Marsden
Personal details
Born	Kenneth Thomas Cuccinelli II (1968-07-30) July 30, 1968 (age 55) Edison, New Jersey, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Alice Monteiro Davis ​ ​ (m. 1991)​
Children	7
Education	University of Virginia (BS) George Mason University (MA, JD)
Signature

Kenneth Thomas Cuccinelli II (/ˈkuːtʃɪˈnɛli/ KOO-chi-NEL-ee; born July 30, 1968) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the senior official performing the duties of the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security from 2019 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he also served as the Principal Deputy and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and was Attorney General of Virginia from 2010 to 2014.

He previously served in the Virginia Senate, representing the 37th district in Fairfax County from 2002 until 2010, and as the 46th attorney general of Virginia from 2010 until 2014. Cuccinelli was the Republican nominee for Governor of Virginia in the 2013 Virginia gubernatorial election, losing to the Democratic nominee, Terry McAuliffe.

A self-described opponent of homosexuality, Cuccinelli in his position as Virginia Attorney General defended anti-sodomy laws and prohibitions on same-sex marriage. Cuccinelli rejects the scientific consensus on climate change, and in his position as Attorney General investigated climate scientists whom he accused of fraud. Characterized as an immigration hard-liner, Cuccinelli sought to prohibit undocumented immigrants from attending universities, repeal birthright citizenship, and force employees to speak English in the workplace.

His appointment as Acting USCIS Director by the Donald Trump administration was ruled unlawful by U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss in March 2020, who found it to be in violation of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998. Later that year, the Government Accountability Office ruled his appointment as the acting Deputy Secretary illegal, as well.