Mayorkas has no plans to resign after Republicans work to impeach him
Cami Mondeaux
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The Department of Homeland Security responded to a Republican lawmaker’s filing of impeachment articles against Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, denouncing the move as baseless and disappointing.
Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX) introduced the articles of impeachment in the House on Monday, accusing Mayorkas of committing high crimes and misdemeanors. However, the department pushed back against the impeachment inquiry, arguing the accusations are inaccurate and do not meet the constitutional standard to warrant impeachment.
HOUSE REPUBLICAN FILES ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST DHS SECRETARY MAYORKAS
“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than point the finger at someone else; they should come to the table and work on solutions for our broken system and outdated laws, which they have not updated in over 40 years.”
GOP leaders such as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) have long vowed to open impeachment inquiries into the DHS secretary if he doesn’t step down from office, targeting him for his handling of the southern border. As of Wednesday, the DHS confirmed Mayorkas has no plans to resign.
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.
Fallon’s impeachment inquiry introduces three articles against Mayorkas, including charges of engaging in a pattern of conduct “incompatible with his duties,” providing false and misleading testimony to Congress, and “knowingly” slandering Border Patrol agents.
The second article of impeachment stems from accusations that Mayorkas gave false testimony to Congress by telling lawmakers in separate hearings last year that the DHS has “operational control” over the border and that it is secure.
“The record-breaking number of illegal alien encounters, including over 1,000,000 known ‘gotaways’, as well as the record seizures of deadly fentanyl and other contraband, prove that Secretary Mayorkas has not ensured operational control of the southern border,” Fallon wrote in his impeachment inquiry.
The third article of impeachment is in response to comments Mayorkas made following reports that emerged in September 2021 that Border Patrol agents mounted on horses were “whipping” illegal immigrants who attempted to cross the Rio Grande in Del Rio, Texas.
A 511-page report released by the Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Personal Responsibility later found “no evidence that [Border Patrol agents] involved in this incident struck, intentionally or otherwise, any migrant with their reins.”
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“Secretary Mayorkas slandered his own Border Patrol agents and TXDPS Troopers involved in this incident, contributing to a further decrease in already-low morale among agents,” Fallon wrote.
The articles of impeachment have been referred to the House Judiciary Committee, and it’s unclear if or when they will be considered by the entire House. If Republicans impeach Mayorkas, it’s unlikely he would be convicted in the Democratic-led Senate.