(TheProudRepublic.com) – House Republicans, led by House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.), have announced two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, labeling him as “utterly unfit for the office he holds.”
The charges, set to be approved at a Tuesday hearing, accuse Mayorkas of a willful refusal to comply with the law and a breach of public trust, particularly in his handling of the surge in asylum seekers and illegal crossings at the US-Mexico border.
The first article of impeachment asserts that Mayorkas has chosen not to enforce laws regarding the detention of asylum seekers who cross the border illegally. The second article accuses him of misleading Congress about the security of the border and failing to provide requested documents. “This secretary is utterly unfit for the office he holds,” Green stated emphatically. “He has neglected to fulfill his oath to secure the homeland and to comply with the laws of the United States.”
This move by the House Republicans, if successful, would make Mayorkas the second Cabinet secretary in US history to be impeached, following Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876. If impeached by the House, Mayorkas will face a Senate trial, which could bring intense scrutiny to the ongoing border debate in an election year.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has pushed back against these allegations, releasing a 4-page counter-memo describing the impeachment as “unconstitutional” and “evidence-free.”
The department argues that the majority of migrants at the border have been removed and that significant strides have been made in seizing fentanyl and making arrests for fentanyl-related offenses. DHS also refutes claims of Mayorkas lying to Congress, citing the subjective nature of operational control at the border.
Democrats are attempting to shift focus to bipartisan Senate negotiations on asylum seeker limits, with some alleging that former President Trump is attempting to derail these discussions. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre criticized the impeachment push as “shameful” and “wasteful.”
The surge in border crossings began in 2021, coinciding with President Biden’s more welcoming stance towards migrants.
Biden ended the construction of Trump’s US-Mexico border wall and the “Remain in Mexico” policy, leading to a significant increase in migrants turning themselves in to authorities for processing and work permits.
The entry of so many immigrants has caused problems, notably in big cities like New York, where Mayor Eric Adams has criticized the federal government for not providing sufficient support to handle the migrant crisis.
Fiscal year 2023 saw nearly 2.5 million people apprehended at the border, setting a new, infamous record.
