Washington – Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said he did not take House Republicans' efforts to impeach Mr. Mayorkas, the first Cabinet member in nearly 150 years, personally, and called the attack on Mr. Mayorkas political. “They don't know me,” he said.
“A lot of these people have sat down and talked about my approach to the job, my policy positions, what we're trying to do, how we're meticulously and very aggressively enforcing the law. He has never spoken to me,” he said.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press on Friday, he spoke about impeachment, the upcoming border bill and concerns heading into the 2024 election.
He said he is “completely focused on the work” his agency does and will not be distracted by impeachment politics.
“I don't lose any sleep over impeachment. I lose a few minutes of sleep because of the substantive challenges that we have, the challenges that we face. And we want them to Am I doing everything I can to meet? And am I supporting the workforce and its needs?'' the secretary said.
Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee voted Wednesday to send two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas to the full chamber for consideration. It is unclear whether Republicans will have enough support to impeach the secretary, but a vote in the House could come as early as next week.
If impeached, it would be the first time since 1876 that a Cabinet secretary has been impeached. The impeachment at that time was over kickbacks on government contracts. In this case, it is unprecedented for Mr. Mayorkas to go after officials over policy disputes over claims that he does not support immigration laws.
The article of impeachment alleges that Mayorkas “refuses to comply with federal immigration law” and that his assertions to Congress that the U.S.-Mexico border are secure “have undermined the public's trust” in the face of a record surge of migrants at the southern border. He accused her of betraying him. The Secretary and advocates have repeatedly said that this is part of a global phenomenon of people moving in search of a better way of life, and that the U.S. immigration system needs more resources and legislation to address this challenge. We have repeatedly stated that we need
He said the Republican charges against him are “politically motivated and completely baseless,” and pointed to constitutional scholars who have made similar assessments. He said he would be prepared to defend himself if a Senate trial were to take place, which typically follows an impeachment resolution. But he stressed he will continue to focus on the department's work, saying he will probably sleep less than he used to.
Other issues from the interview:
Border negotiations in Congress
While House Republicans are working to remove Mayorkas, he has been meeting with Republicans on the other side of Congress. He has appeared regularly on the Senate side in recent weeks, meeting with a bipartisan group of senators to negotiate a deal that would combine border security measures with aid to Ukraine. The text of the proposed bill will be published in due course. But it is unclear whether the proposal will become law in an election year when immigration is likely to be a central and contentious issue.
Mayorkas declined to discuss the details of the bill, saying it would not necessarily address the root causes of immigration. But if it becomes law, he said, the department would be provided with “tools to strengthen border security.”
“We need to fix the system, and the bill that will hopefully be promulgated soon will be a very important part of that,” Mayorkas said.
Immigrant advocacy groups are sounding the alarm about the bill, saying it will make it harder for persecuted immigrants to find safety after some of its details were leaked. He said almost everything related to immigration is divisive and that he believed the proposal was “in line with our nation's values.”
election security
In speaking about concerns for 2024, the Secretary also mentioned the upcoming elections. Election security is part of the purview of the Department of Homeland Security through the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Specifically, Mayorkas cited concerns about cyberattacks on election infrastructure, disinformation, and threats to local election officials.
Conflict with Texas
Eagle Pass, Texas, has recently become one of the busiest places for people trying to enter the country illegally from Mexico. Earlier this month, troops from the Texas National Guard took over the park and began defying federal immigration authorities, despite pleas from U.S. officials. Immigration enforcement is typically the responsibility of the federal government.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he would continue implementing new immigration policies, calling it a “constitutional right to self-defense.” When asked what kind of precedent Abbott's actions might set, Mayorkas said: “It is unconscionable for public servants to intentionally refuse to communicate, coordinate, and cooperate with other public servants in the national interest of our country, and to refuse to cooperate with state institutions.” Causing confusion to others I hope that. That's unconscionable. ”
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