The Republican-led House of Representatives on Tuesday rejected the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the southern border crisis, a major blow to House Republicans who had called for Mayorkas’ removal from office.
The House voted largely along party lines, but Republicans suffered large numbers of defections, disrupting the vote. In the end, four Republicans voted no: Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colorado), and Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.). , Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah) switched his vote at the last minute in the race. A procedural move to allow the resolution to return to the floor.
But the Democratic Party remained united. The vote was 216-214. Lawmakers voted in favor of a resolution that combines two articles of impeachment, one accusing Mayorkas of “refusing to abide by federal immigration law” and the other of violating “the public trust.” A Cabinet secretary has not been impeached since 1876, when Secretary of War William Belknap was impeached.
Republicans on key immigration subcommittees condemn Mayorkas’ impeachment
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas defended his response to the border crisis.
The move marks a major defeat for the Republican majority, which held hearings throughout 2023 on Mayorkas’ “neglect of duty” and additional hearings on the articles of impeachment itself earlier this year. Lawmakers accused Mayorkas of ignoring federal law with an “open borders” policy and exacerbating the ongoing crisis at the southern border. They point to a rollback of Trump-era policies such as border wall construction and “Remain in Mexico,” as well as a reduction in domestic enforcement and an expansion of “catch-and-release.” This has led to a record number of infections at the southern border, topping the 300,000 mark in December.
“Customs and Border Protection, under Secretary Mayorkas’ oversight, has arrested 8.5 million people, including more than 7 million arrests at the Southwest border,” Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) told the House. More than 1,000 people have reported encounters at the border.” floor. “Even more frightening are the approximately 1.8 million known fugitives that Border Patrol agents have found but failed to apprehend. The millions of inadmissible aliens we encounter end up in our “This kind of thing has never happened in our history. And it’s not happening. It doesn’t happen by accident.” ”
Greene said Republicans are left with “no choice” but to move forward.
“When our branch officials blatantly refuse to abide by laws that threaten the separation of powers that we passed, endanger the constitutional order, and expose Americans to untold suffering and death, we, as the people’s representatives, must We have no opinion and no choice but to exercise this obligation,” he said.
Democrats and the administration have portrayed the push for impeachment as politically motivated based solely on policy disagreements, and nothing approaching high crimes or misdemeanors.
Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) leads the House Homeland Security Committee’s motion to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas during a hearing in Washington, D.C., on January 30, 2024. do (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
“Far from alleging high crimes and misdemeanors, this resolution makes the same tired and untrue Republican talking points that Democrats have proven untrue for months,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash. It depends on.”
Mississippi Democrat Bennie Thompson, the ranking member on the Homeland Security Committee, called the push a “travesty” and “an affront to the Constitution.”
“It’s clear that Republicans are failing to prosecute impeachment, instead of doing what’s right for America, without a single high crime or misdemeanor. There’s a smell of desperation on the other side of the aisle. ” he said.
Mayorkas himself has attacked the pressure on him, calling the allegations “false” and “baseless.”
Mayorkas slams Republicans’ ‘baseless’ allegations ahead of crucial impeachment vote
“I assure you that your false accusations will not sway me or distract me from the law enforcement and broader public service mission to which I have devoted and continue to dedicate most of my career,” Mayorkas said in a statement. I will.”
DHS noted that it has forcibly removed more than 500,000 people and recorded seizures of fentanyl at the border since May to counter claims that it is promoting an open borders policy. He also called on Republicans to provide more funding and work with the administration to fix the “broken” immigration system. It focused on Republicans and former Homeland Security officials who have opposed the impeachment effort.
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“This baseless impeachment should never have proceeded. It faces bipartisan opposition and legal experts have vociferously argued that it is unconstitutional,” DHS spokeswoman Mia Ehrenberg said. he said after Tuesday’s vote. “If House Republicans are serious about border security, they should abandon this political game and instead support a bipartisan national security agreement in the Senate to ensure DHS has the enforcement resources it needs. is.”
“Secretary Mayorkas remains focused on advancing real solutions across our borders and keeping our country safe.”
Democrats, on the other hand, were elated at their majority defeat.
“House Republicans tried to impeach Secretary Mayorkas as a purely political stunt, but they failed,” Jayapal said on X (formerly Twitter). “As the majority continues to waste time, Democrats will continue to work for the American people.”
But at least one Republican suggested the fight may not be over yet.
“I will not stop until Secretary Mayorkas is impeached,” posted Rep. Tony Gonzalez (R-Texas). “House Republicans will hold the administration accountable no matter how many votes they get!”
