In a noteworthy turn of events, the House of Representatives successfully impeached Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on its second attempt, with a final vote of 214-213. This historic move makes Mayorkas the first cabinet official to face impeachment since War Secretary William Belknap in 1876. The impeachment articles assert that Mayorkas violated his oath to support and defend the Constitution by repeatedly flouting laws enacted by Congress on immigration and border security.
The resolution argues that Mayorkas’s unlawful conduct has facilitated the annual illegal entry of millions of aliens into the United States, with many remaining unlawfully. It contends that his refusal to abide by the law not only undermines the constitutional separation of powers but also poses a threat to national security and adversely affects communities nationwide. Despite clear evidence linking his refusal to comply with the law to unprecedented levels of illegal entrants and increased control of the Southwest border by drug cartels, Mayorkas is accused of persisting in his non-compliance, causing significant harm to the interests of the United States.
Furthermore, the resolution alleges that Mayorkas knowingly made false statements and obstructed lawful oversight of the Department of Homeland Security to obscure the results of his systemic refusal to comply with the law. While the House successfully passed the impeachment, a conviction in the Senate appears unlikely, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has shown reluctance to commit to holding a trial.
House Speaker Mike Johnson lauded the successful impeachment, emphasizing Mayorkas’s consistent refusal to comply with federal immigration laws and attributing it to the ongoing border crisis. Johnson underscored Mayorkas’s false statements to Congress, obstruction of lawful oversight, and violation of his oath of office as grounds for impeachment. He asserted that Mayorkas deserved impeachment, framing it as a constitutional obligation that Congress must fulfill, drawing parallels to the gravity of declaring war.
