Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas late Tuesday with a narrow vote of 214-213.
The vote comes after many lawmakers accused the 64-year-old of being responsible for the millions of illegal immigrants crossing the southern border, citing the argument that he has “willfully” refused to enforce border security and his “breach of the public trust.”
According to Republicans, Mayorkas’ inaction at the border has caused Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to take matters into his own hands and protect the border without the Biden administration’s help.
This was the House’s second attempt at impeaching Mayorkas. Last week, their impeachment efforts were defeated by one vote. They were able to impeach with the return of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), who was seeking cancer treatment.
“Next to a declaration of war, impeachment is arguably the most serious authority given to the House and we have treated this matter accordingly,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).
After months of hard work, the House has finally impeached Secretary Mayorkas for his dereliction of duty & inviting the invasion of America.
To the Senate: the American people demand you uphold your oath & hold a trial and remove Mayorkas for breaking federal law. pic.twitter.com/aICfJbv3QO
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) February 14, 2024
As expected, President Joe Biden defended Mayorkas.
“History will not look kindly on House Republicans for their blatant act of unconstitutional partisanship that has targeted an honorable public servant in order to play petty political games,” he said.
The Department of Homeland Security also defended Mayorkas, stating that Republicans were more focused on “political gain.”
“House Republicans will be remembered by history for trampling on the Constitution for political gain rather than working to solve the serious challenges at our border,” said spokeswoman Mia Ehrenberg for the Department of Homeland Security.
While the vote does not remove Mayorkas from office, it is the first step in the process. Next, a trial will be held in the Senate’s upper chamber on Feb. 26., according to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) office.
Many assume that Mayorkas will be acquitted by the Senate, which has a Democratic majority of 51-49 and has the “sole power” of holding a trial that could lead to his removal, according to the U.S. Constitution.
Mayorkas’ impeachment has made history. It was the first time in almost 150 years that a cabinet member was impeached. The first impeachment occurred in 1876 when the Secretary of War William Belknap was tried on corruption charges after his resignation.
