The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas after Republican politicians criticized him for the unprecedented arrival of migrants and asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Mayorkas is accused of “deliberately refusing” to enforce border laws and “betraying the public's trust.” This is the first time in about 150 years that a member of his cabinet has been impeached. The charges against him are likely to be rejected by the Democratic-controlled Senate.
Here's a detailed look at Mayorkas' impeachment and what's next.
Why was Mayorkas impeached?
The impeachment is the culmination of months of Republican attacks on Mr. Mayorkas and Democrats over his handling of border security. More than 6 million refugees and immigrants have arrived in the United States since 2021, making immigration a key issue in the upcoming presidential election, scheduled for November.
Republicans have accused the Biden administration of repealing President Trump's border security policies, which they say are effective in deterring migrants. They also point out that the Biden administration's policies are attracting immigrants.
The Biden administration has clashed with Governor Greg Abbott of the border state of Texas over immigration. Mr. Abbott, a Republican, has been a vocal critic of Mr. Biden's handling of immigration issues.
On January 28, House Republicans passed two articles accusing Mayorkas of “presidential misconduct.”[ing] The charges include “reckless abandonment of border security and immigration enforcement” and “releasing hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens into the interior of the United States.”
He was found guilty of “high crimes and misdemeanors” amounting to a “deliberate and systematic refusal to comply with immigration laws” and a “breach of public trust.” They suggested that impeaching Mr. Mayorkas was Congress' only viable option.
An attempt by the Republican-controlled House to impeach Mayorkas on February 6 failed. Tuesday's vote passed by a narrow margin of 214-213.
What does impeachment mean?
Impeachment is the process by which a government official is accused of wrongdoing by a legislative body.
Only the House of Representatives can initiate impeachment. However, the Senate has the power to reject an impeachment trial.
Under the impeachment process, Congress can charge and try federal officials for “treason, bribery, and other high crimes and misdemeanors.” The definition of “high crimes and misdemeanors'' has long been debated because it is not specified in the Constitution.
The only time the House has ever impeached a cabinet member, Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876, was over serious allegations of corruption rather than simple policy disagreements.
What happens next?
For now, Mayorkas continues to stand his ground, as the impeachment is largely symbolic.
Mayorkas is likely to be acquitted by a 51-49 vote in the Democratic-controlled Senate. A two-thirds majority of the Senate is required to convict. Impeachment by the House of Representatives, on the other hand, requires a simple majority.
All Republicans and a significant number of Democrats would have to vote to convict Mayorkas, a highly unlikely scenario.
The Senate is scheduled to receive articles of impeachment from the House of Representatives after resuming session on February 26th. The Senate could vote to dismiss the article, dissolve the trial, or refer the article to a committee.
Mayorkas said he is prepared to defend his case in the Senate if it goes to trial, and until then he will focus on his job.
Who is Alejandro Mayorkas?
Mr. Mayorkas, an immigrant himself, was born in Havana and arrived in the United States in 1960 after his parents fled the Cuban revolution. He settled in Southern California with his family and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. He received his law degree from Loyola Law School in 1985.
Under former President Barack Obama, he served as deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and director of the Citizenship and Immigration Service.
While serving under the Obama administration, Mr. Mayorkas achieved several historic firsts. He became the youngest U.S. attorney appointed by former U.S. President Bill Clinton in 1998 and was the highest-ranking Cuban-American to hold the same position during the Obama administration. He also helped negotiate the first Homeland Security Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Cuba.
Mayorkas was appointed Secretary of Homeland Security in 2021 by US President Joe Biden.
What is your reaction to his impeachment?
Mr. Biden immediately accused Republicans of “an unconstitutional act of blatant partisanship in targeting honorable public servants for petty political maneuvering.”
After the vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson said, “The House must act because this Secretary is refusing to do the job that the Senate has authorized him to do.”
Democrats and many legal experts dispute that Mayorkas' impeachment is not based on issues that meet the level of “high crimes and misdemeanors.” Rather, the issue stems from a policy debate in which Republicans are dissatisfied with Biden's immigration policies implemented through Mayorkas, who say the issue is for voters to decide.
Additionally, they said it's not Biden's policies that are drawing more migrants to the southern border. The influx of migrants and refugees is just one aspect of a multifaceted problem in which people are making dangerous and deadly escapes from increasing political, economic and climate change in search of a better life.
In an open letter, 25 legal experts called the push “totally unwarranted,” echoed by constitutional scholars who oppose impeaching Donald Trump in Congress.
“House Republicans will go down in history for trampling the Constitution for political gain rather than working to solve serious challenges at our border,” said Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Mia Ehrenberg. he said.
Ken Buck, one of three Republicans who voted against Mayorkas in last week's vote, called the move against Mayorkas a “stunt,” and fellow rebel Mike Gallagher said it was “a Pandora of permanent impeachment.” I'll pry open the box.''
