In Congress on Tuesday, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) made a fervent call for the impeachment of Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, citing a failure to uphold his oath of office and breaches of federal immigration law. Drawing on the Supreme Court’s decision versus Texas, Greene underlined the necessity of congressional action.
Greene opened her speech stating, “Congress has a responsibility to hold the executive branch accountable when they fail to uphold their oath of office, abuse their authority, and, or are dishonest with the American people.”
“In its 2023 ruling in United States versus Texas, the Supreme Court left the House of Representatives with little choice, little choice, but to pursue impeachment articles against Secretary Mayorkas.” The court’s 5-4 decision, according to Greene, did not tackle Secretary Mayorkas’ policies directly but highlighted the limited standing of states to challenge them.
“The only one [tool] that makes sense in the current political environment is impeachment.” She criticized the Democratic Party for rejecting H.R. 2, labeling it a crucial security bill for the nation’s border.
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Two articles of impeachment were filed against Mayorkas on Sunday. House Republicans have vowed to move quickly to remove the Cabinet member for his inability to control the ongoing border crisis.
“Secretary Mayorkas’ actions and decisions clearly meet the standard necessary for initiating impeachment proceedings.” Greene continued, “These parents who have had children murdered by fentanyl, murdered by illegal aliens, such as MS-13 crime gang members, and so much more.”
Republicans have accused Mayorkas of “high crimes and misdemeanors” including a “willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law” on immigration, as well as a “breach of public trust.” They argue that impeachment is “Congress’s only viable option.”
According to the first article of impeachment, Mayorkas elected not to execute the law, which states that asylum seekers who unlawfully cross the border “shall be detained” until a determination on their status is made, with release into the US interior only authorized on a case-by-case basis.
Mayorkas said last month that 85% of migrants who illegally enter the United States are being freed to await judgments. This amount is in addition to a second program established last year that permits 30,000 asylum applicants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the US via authorized ports of entry while awaiting case resolution.
The second article of impeachment charges Mayorkas of lying to Congress about the border being “secure” and failing to cooperate with document demands.
Mayorkas, who held high-ranking DHS roles under former President Barack Obama’s eight years in government, may face a Senate trial if impeached by the House, bringing the border dispute into the limelight during an election year.
The House Homeland Security Committee is set to vote on the articles of impeachment on Tuesday, with the goal of sending them to the entire House for consideration. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has said that the House would vote as soon as feasible after that.
Passage needs simply a House majority. The Senate would convene a trial, and conviction would need a two-thirds majority, which is very improbable in the Democratic-controlled Senate. However, the impeachment of DHS Secretary Mayorkas could prove to be a very uncomfortable issue for Democratic Senate candidates who find themselves in tightly contested races, particularly in border states.