House Republicans have officially moved to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, marking the first such action against a Cabinet official in nearly 150 years. The articles of impeachment were delivered to the Senate on Tuesday, setting the stage for a potential trial over deep divisions over immigration policy and executive accountability.
This comes after months of pointed criticism from GOP lawmakers who accuse Mayorkas of failing to secure the southern border, an issue that has inflamed partisan debates and highlighted the Biden administration’s challenges in managing immigration.
The impeachment articles, which narrowly passed in the House in February, charge Mayorkas with “willful neglect of duty” and “conduct constituting a high crime and misdemeanor.” Republicans argue that his policies have directly contributed to an unprecedented surge in border crossings.
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DHS spokesman Mia Ehrenberg said in a statement that the impeachment was done “without a shred of evidence or legitimate Constitutional grounds.”
“House Republicans will be remembered by history for trampling on the Constitution for political gain rather than working to solve the serious challenges at our border,” Ehrenberg said at the time.
The path forward in the Senate remains unclear.
The Senate, controlled by Democrats, could quickly dismiss the charges or opt for a swift trial unlikely to end in a conviction given the high threshold for removal from office. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has called for expedience, urging Senators to be prepared for swift proceedings.
“Impeachment should never be used to settle a policy disagreement. That would set a horrible precedent for the Congress,” Schumer said yesterday.
Despite the challenges, Republicans are pressing ahead, hoping to spotlight the critical security failures ahead of the election. Political analysts suggest that the impeachment could energize conservative voters who are frustrated with the current administration’s policies.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said on the Senate floor that “history and precedent dictate” the Senate must hold a trial. “It would be beneath the Senate’s dignity to ignore our clear responsibility and not give the charges we’ll hear today the thorough consideration they deserve.”
House Republicans had sought to impeach the DHS secretary for months due to the collapse of the southern border. Since Mayorkas took office in February 2021, more than 8 million illegal alien encounters have been recorded along the southern border, an astronomical increase from the Trump years. Illegal alien encounters have surged past all-time records in 2022 and 2023, while the country is on pace to surpass yet another record in 2024.
The vast majority of illegal aliens processed at the southern border claim asylum, even though millions of them do not comply with international asylum laws, which require asylum seekers to apply in the first country they enter. Major border entry points have been swarmed by people from Africa, the Middle East, South America, China, and dozens of other regions since 2021.
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