On Sunday, House Republicans released two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The move comes as part of an election-year effort to oust him over what they call his failure to manage the U.S.-Mexico border.
The articles accuse Mayorkas of willful and systemic refusal to comply with immigration laws enacted by Congress, breach of public trust, and making false statements to Congress and the American people. However, Democrats have criticized these efforts as a politically motivated stunt lacking constitutional basis.
Former Republican-appointed Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has also advised against impeaching Mayorkas in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. He argues that Republicans have not met the standard for impeachment and are instead seeking to improperly boot Mayorkas over policy differences.
Despite these criticisms, House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) has stated that the articles lay out a clear, compelling, and irrefutable case for Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas' impeachment. The Republican-controlled House Homeland Security Committee is set to vote on the articles of impeachment on Tuesday.
It is important to note that only once in American history has a Cabinet secretary been impeached: William Belknap, President Ulysses Grant’s war secretary. Mayorkas and his department maintain that no high crimes or misdemeanors have ever been committed under the Biden administration.
The White House criticized wrangling over a bipartisan border agreement on Sunday, urging Congress to authorize funding for immigration policy negotiations. The press briefing addressed the bipartisan border agreement, which Republicans have recently attacked. Jean-Pierre called out Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, arguing that if the party seeks to address illegal immigration, they should give the administration the authority and funding needed to secure the border.
The White House has endorsed these bargaining efforts and stated that President Biden would shut down the border if a bipartisan agreement passed. However, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson responded by stating that the president already has authority to stop migrants from crossing in from Mexico.
