Former House Freedom Caucus leader Andy Biggs (R-AZ) held a mock hearing with fellow Republicans to discuss why Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas ought to be removed from office.
The event was billed as a “forum” and hosted by the Heritage Foundation in downtown Washington, D.C., rather than on Capitol Hill since the event was not official business. Biggs touted the event as an opportunity to discuss impeachment efforts after he filed articles to remove Mayorkas in 2021 and again last month.
Lawmakers heard from three Heritage fellows and the head of the Center for Homeland Security and Immigration at Stephen Miller’s America First Policy Institute. Three of the speakers are former high-ranking officials in the Trump administration.
“One constant for the past two years is the man who served as the administration’s chief architect of our open border,” said Mark Morgan, former acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and now-Heritage fellow. “Mayorkas continues to opine our borders are closed with more than 5 million total nationwide encounters … There is no objectively rational person that would continue to assert that claim.”
STATE OF THE UNION 2023: BIDEN TELLS GOP ‘YOU GOT IT’ AFTER THEY DEMAND BORDER SECURITY
Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX) took issue with Mayorkas’s statements in committee hearings over the past two years that his department had “operational control” of the border.
“Mayorkas claimed we have operational control of the border and under oath. He claimed this, and to the people sitting back home, that might sound like an opinion, but that’s actually a legal definition that he’s supposed to be fulfilling,” said Cloud.
Tom Homan, former acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement director and Heritage fellow, said he did not view Mayorkas as innocent even if he was only acting at the instruction of Biden.
“I’m sick and tired of hearing, ‘Well, he works for the president. The president gives direction.’ No. If he had an ounce of integrity, he would tell the White House, ‘I cannot support the open borders plan because it puts the country in danger,'” Homan said. “Another reason he needs to be impeached.”
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) said Homan’s comments were moving.
“[The] series of discussions we’ve had … lay the groundwork for the [impeachment] inquiries that are to come,” said Gaetz. “Mr. Homan, your testimony was not only chilling. It’s haunting.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
House committees have held two hearings this month about the state of the border, though no formal actions about impeaching Mayorkas have come to fruition.
Lawmakers from the ultra-conservative body passed in and out of the room, going to and from House offices on the other side of Capitol Hill.
