House Republicans are moving forward with their plans to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, accusing him of willfully and systematically refusing to enforce immigration laws. The Homeland Security Committee is set to vote on two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas, who served as a federal prosecutor before his current role. This move comes as border security becomes a key issue in the 2024 elections, with Republicans aligning themselves with former President Donald Trump's hardline stance on immigration.
Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, stated that the impeachment is necessary and that a full House vote will take place as soon as possible. Impeachment proceedings against a Cabinet member for 'high crimes and misdemeanors' are rare, and Democrats have criticized the proceedings as a 'sham' that could set a dangerous precedent for other civil servants. If Mayorkas is impeached, he would be the first Cabinet official in nearly 150 years to face such charges.
While the House is moving forward with the impeachment, the Senate has been working with Mayorkas on a bipartisan border security package, although its future remains uncertain. The proposed package could potentially be the most significant bipartisan immigration proposal in a decade. However, there is a risk of it collapsing due to opposition from Republicans and even some Democrats. President Joe Biden, who previously expressed support for the package, has also stated that he would 'shut down the border right now' if Congress grants him emergency authority to address the situation.
In response to the charges against him, Mayorkas penned a letter defending his work at the Department of Homeland Security and urging the House to focus on updating the nation's immigration laws. He emphasized the need for Congress to provide a legislative solution to address the current challenges faced by the country, including record global migration.
The articles of impeachment against Mayorkas accuse him of willfully and systematically refusing to comply with federal immigration laws and breaching the public trust by claiming that the border is secure. Republicans have criticized Mayorkas' handling of the southern border, which has seen a significant increase in migrant arrivals over the past year. They argue that the administration either rolled back policies implemented by Trump that had controlled migration or implemented their own policies that encouraged illegal immigration.
Republicans have also accused Mayorkas of lying to Congress, pointing to his statements about border security and the vetting process for Afghans evacuated from Afghanistan after the military withdrawal. Rep. Michael McCaul, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called Mayorkas the 'architect' of the border problems and stated that he deserves impeachment.
However, Democrats argue that Mayorkas is acting within his legal authorities as the head of the Department of Homeland Security and that the allegations against him do not meet the threshold for impeachment. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York labeled the impeachment proceedings a 'political stunt' orchestrated by Trump and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a staunch Trump ally who pushed the resolution forward.
It remains unclear whether House Republicans will have enough support within their ranks to proceed with the impeachment, particularly with their slim majority and expected opposition from Democrats. In the past, eight House Republicans voted to shelve an impeachment resolution proposed by Greene. However, some of those Republicans have indicated that they may be more inclined to support Mayorkas' impeachment now.
If the House does vote to impeach Mayorkas, the charges will proceed to the Senate for a trial. The last time a Cabinet official faced impeachment was in 1876 when Defense Secretary William Belknap was impeached by the House over kickbacks in government contracts but acquitted by the Senate.
