A House Republican has filed articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, following through with a promise several GOP lawmakers made before taking control of the lower chamber earlier this month.
Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX) introduced the articles of impeachment in the House on Monday, accusing Mayorkas of committing high crimes and misdemeanors. The articles have been referred to the House Judiciary Committee for further action.
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GOP leaders such as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) have long vowed to open impeachment inquiries into the DHS secretary, targeting him for his handling of the southern border. The House Judiciary Committee notified Mayorkas late last year it would seek his testimony early into the next Congress, as well as the testimony of 10 other DHS officials.
Before being sworn into the 118th Congress last week, Fallon vowed to introduce impeachment articles against Mayorkas for allegedly undermining law enforcement activities at the southern border.
“Secretary Mayorkas has violated the law and his implemented policies that undermine law enforcement activities at our southern border,” Fallon said in a statement. “From perjuring himself before Congress about maintaining operational control of the border to the infamous ‘whipgate’ slander against our border patrol agents, Secretary Mayorkas has proven time and time again that he is unfit to lead the Department of Homeland Security. His willful actions erode our immigration system, undermine border patrol morale, and imperil American national security. He must be removed from office.”
It’s not clear what crimes Fallon is specifically accusing Mayorkas of conducting because there is no text available for the articles of impeachment.
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If House Republicans manage to impeach Mayorkas, it’s unlikely he would be convicted in the Democratic-led Senate. Meanwhile, the DHS said Mayorkas has no plans to resign from his post, noting the accusations being used to file the impeachment inquiry do not meet the constitutional standard of high crimes and misdemeanors.
“Secretary Mayorkas is proud to advance the noble mission of this Department, support its extraordinary workforce, and serve the American people,” a DHS spokesperson told the Washington Examiner. “The Department will continue our work to enforce our laws and secure our border, while building a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system. Members of Congress can do better than point the finger at someone else; they should come to the table and work on solutions for our broken system and outdated laws, which they have not updated in over 40 years.”
