GOP House Members Move Forward with Mayorkas Impeachment

House Republicans express optimism that evidence from interviews with Border Patrol officials could sway their case and secure enough votes to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

On Tuesday, the Chairs of the House Homeland Security Committee and House Committee on Oversight and Accountability released a 40-page report detailing revelations from interviews with regional Border Patrol chiefs conducted last spring and summer.

House Republicans lay groundwork for second Mayorkas impeachment hearing https://t.co/mpvgO1OA29

— Anna Giaritelli (@Anna_Giaritelli) January 17, 2024

House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) stated, "These transcribed interviews have given our Committees, and now the American people, some shocking insights into the consequences of the Secretary’s refusal to enforce the law and secure our borders. Accountability is desperately needed at the highest levels of the Department of Homeland Security."

The accountability sought by Green takes the form of impeachment, a measure not taken against a Cabinet official by Congress in 150 years, and which some consider unfounded, according to a major conservative constitutional attorney.

A report titled "Crisis at the Border: Reports from the Frontline" released by Republicans emphasizes the need for strong consequences for illegal entry, the importance of the border wall, and targeting criminal organizations profiting from human smuggling.

It also explores the reasons behind an increase in illegal immigrants from historically low-sending countries.

The report reiterates statements from federal officials published in November and December 2023. It coincides with the House Homeland Security Committee's second hearing on the impeachment of Mayorkas, following the first hearing where state attorneys general testified about the border crisis's impacts.

House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-KY) remarked, "The men and women on the frontline of the worst border crisis in U.S. history confirmed to our committees we must return to deterrent policies on the border."

In response, the Department of Homeland Security highlighted a memo issued earlier in the month, emphasizing the administration's achievements under Mayorkas, including intercepting more fentanyl, stopping more illegal immigrants, and removing more individuals than in comparable periods under previous administrations.

The DHS criticized the impeachment process as led by extremists, stating that Mayorkas is actively working with Senators from both parties to address the border issue.

House Homeland Security Democrats, in a written statement from late 2023, characterized the investigations as an effort to justify Republican calls for impeachment, describing it as an "embarrassingly transparent effort" driven by claims of Mayorkas's "dereliction of duty" and intentional harm through an open southern border.