President-elect Joe Biden’s intended nominee to head the Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, described the U.S. immigration system as “broken” and called for the creation of a new one to stimulate the economy as it recovers from the pandemic.

At a virtual summit meant to spur congressional action on immigration reforms in the new year, the Obama-era DHS appointee said the economy relies on both legal and illegal immigrants working in the United States, and the country could create more jobs, raise wages, and grow the economy by unveiling a “new immigration system.”