James McCament, Chief, Office of Legislative Affairs

Background Experience/Significant Achievements:

In his current role, Mr. McCament oversees USCIS interaction with Members of Congress and their staff on matters of legislative development, immigration policy, USCIS operations and individual cases of interest.  His responsibilities as Chief also include development and management of the National Congressional Strategic Plan implemented each year by the Operations and Legislative Activity Branches at Congressional Headquarters, as well as by the over 120 USCIS Congressional Liaisons operating within USCIS domestic offices, to provide efficient response to over 300,000 Congressional inquiries received annually.

Before leading the Office of Legislative Affairs, Mr. McCament served as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Field Office Director in Havana, Cuba. As such, he was responsible for managing the USCIS office located at the U.S. Interests Section (USINT) in the Swiss Embassy in Havana, Cuba.

Mr. McCament served from February 2006 to March 2008 as Senior Counselor to the Director of USCIS with a portfolio of responsibility for strategic analysis and advice regarding key mission, operational, political and inter-agency USCIS and DHS matters including long-term leadership roles in the Department's immigration reform operational planning efforts.

From September 2003 until joining USCIS in February 2006, Mr. McCament held the position of Special Advisor to the Secretary of DHS. Mr. McCament began his career with DHS in March 2003 as an attorney and founding member of the DHS Office of the General Counsel.  Prior to joining DHS, he served as an attorney with the Office of the General Counsel at the Department of the Treasury working in the areas of banking and finance, the Office of Foreign Assets Control and domestic and international enforcement. 

Prior to joining the Department of Treasury, Mr. McCament served as a law clerk for the Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana. 

Education:

Mr. McCament has studied as a Senior Executive Fellow with the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.  He received his Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from the University of Notre Dame Law School and his bachelor’s degree in Social Studies and Spanish Education from Mount Vernon Nazarene College in Ohio.