House Republicans will forge ahead with steps to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the border crisis. In a statement, a committee spokesperson said “the House Committee on Homeland Security has conducted a comprehensive investigation into Secretary Mayorkas’ handling of, and role in, the unprecedented crisis at the Southwest border” for nearly a year.
Quick Read
- Impeachment Proceedings: House Republicans are moving forward with steps to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the border crisis.
- Investigation: The House Committee on Homeland Security has been investigating Mayorkas’ handling of the border crisis for nearly a year.
- Border Visit: House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republicans will visit a busy section of the US-Mexico border to address the migrant surge.
- Administration’s Response: A senior administration official criticized Johnson for “playing politics” instead of working on meaningful reforms.
- Policy Dispute: Johnson criticizes the Biden administration’s border policy, calling for policy changes rather than increased funding.
- Impeachment Hearings: The committee will begin hearings next week, focusing on Mayorkas’ alleged misconduct and failure to enforce the law.
- DHS Response: The Department of Homeland Security deems the impeachment a “baseless political exercise.”
- Mayorkas’ Stance: While downplaying impeachment concerns, Mayorkas advocates for more funding for border security.
- Migration Trends: Although there was a record high in border crossings in December, officials note a recent decrease.
- Mexico’s Enforcement: Enhanced enforcement by Mexico and repatriation of migrants have contributed to the decrease in crossings.
- Senate Talks: Mayorkas is a key figure in bipartisan Senate negotiations on a border security bill.
- Resource Needs: Mayorkas emphasizes the need for additional personnel, technology, and asylum officers.
- Historical Context: Only one cabinet official has ever been impeached in American history.
- House Vote: In November, the House voted to refer a resolution to impeach Mayorkas to the Homeland Security Committee.
- Republican Actions: GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene initiated the impeachment resolution, and Republicans have long targeted Mayorkas for impeachment.
- State-Level Actions: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law giving local law enforcement the authority to arrest migrants, typically a federal responsibility.
- DOJ’s Stance: The Department of Justice has threatened to sue Texas over this law, claiming it violates the U.S. Constitution.
Reuters has the story:
House committee to begin impeachment steps against Homeland Security chief over border policies
Newsslooks- Reuters
House Republicans will forge ahead with steps to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the border crisis.
In a statement, a committee spokesperson said “the House Committee on Homeland Security has conducted a comprehensive investigation into Secretary Mayorkas’ handling of, and role in, the unprecedented crisis at the Southwest border” for nearly a year.
“Following the bipartisan vote in the House to refer articles of impeachment against the secretary to our Committee, we will be conducting hearings and taking up those articles in the coming weeks,” the statement said.
The announcement of the impeachment proceedings comes as immigration is shaping up to be a top issue in the 2024 presidential election, with Republicans slamming President Joe Biden’s immigration policies. On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, along with some of his Republican colleagues, will visit one of the busiest sections of the US-Mexico border, where only a few days ago border authorities wrestled with a fresh surge of migrants.
In response to Johnson’s visit, a senior administration official accused the House Speaker of “playing games” and said he should “stop playing politics” instead of working to pass meaningful reforms.
Johnson described the situation at the US border with Mexico as a “catastrophe” and said the Biden administration isn’t doing its job, while throwing cold water on the ongoing Senate negotiations for a border security bill.
“This is not about sending more money down here, it’s about changing the policy, and the White House seems not to understand that,” Johnson said in the interview.
It’s part of a long-running dispute between Republicans and the Biden administration over the handling of the southern border that’s culminated in impeachment proceedings against the DHS chief who’s charged with border security.
The committee spokesperson said the hearing will begin next week. “The Committee will ensure that the public is aware of the scope of Secretary Mayorkas’ egregious misconduct and refusal to enforce the law, but also that this process is completed promptly and accountability is achieved swiftly—as the American people have demanded,” the statement said.
The Department of Homeland Security responded in a statement Wednesday, arguing House Republicans are “pursuing a baseless political exercise that has been rejected by members of both parties and already failed on a bipartisan vote.”
“There is no valid basis to impeach Secretary Mayorkas, as senior members of the House majority have attested, and this extreme impeachment push is a harmful distraction from our critical national security priorities,” DHS spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg said.
“Secretary Mayorkas and the Department of Homeland Security will continue working every day to keep Americans safe.”
Mayorkas sought to downplay concerns about an impeachment on Wednesday, but advocated strongly for funding for border security, warning that his department does not have the resources “to perform our jobs as fully and completely as we could.”
Despite reaching an all-time high in border crossings in December, senior administration officials on Tuesday underscored progress, citing a drop in crossings in recent days, but cautioned that migration ebbs and flows.
On Monday, border authorities encountered around 2,500 migrants at the US southern border—a dramatic drop from mid-December when arrests topped 10,000, according to a senior administration official.
Fewer than 500 migrants were apprehended in the Del Rio sector, which was slammed with thousands of arrivals in late December.
Officials cited a doubling down on enforcement by Mexico on trains and buses, which migrants often use to quickly get to the US southern border, decongestion of Mexico’s northern border, and repatriations of Venezuelans to Venezuela by Mexico, among other measures.
The moment, however, underscores how complicated it will be for any agreement on a border deal to get through the House. Mayorkas has been a key player in bipartisan Senate talks.
“We need additional personnel to advance our security at the border. We need technology to advance our fight against fentanyl. We need additional asylum officers to really accelerate the asylum adjudication process,” he said,” pointing to a building backlog of 3 million immigration court cases.
Only one cabinet official has ever been impeached in American history – Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876. A simple majority would be required to impeach Mayorkas.
The latest development comes after the House voted in November to refer a resolution to impeach Mayorkas to the Homeland Security Committee in a 209-201 vote, with eight Republicans voting with Democrats.
GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia filed a privileged resolution to impeach Mayorkas in November, forcing GOP leadership to schedule floor action on the measure.
Since retaking the House majority, Republicans have long sought to impeach Mayorkas over his handling of the Department of Homeland Security and the US border with Mexico. Greene’s move came as Republicans have been pushing for stricter border security provisions in any supplemental aid package.
The GOP fight is also playing out on the state level. Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas last month signed a law that gives local law enforcement the authority to arrest migrants – an authority that typically falls under the purview of the federal government.
The Department of Justice said the Texas measure violated the US Constitution, and threatened to sue to stop Abbott from enforcing the law, which would take effect in March.
