House Republicans Open Impeachment Hearing for DHS Secretary Mayorkas
The House Republicans initiated their first impeachment hearing against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, scrutinizing his handling of border policies.
Jamie Bailey
- 2024-01-10
- Updated 08:19 PM ET
(NewsNibs) - Amid rising tensions on immigration issues, House Republicans called to order the inaugural hearing to examine the actions of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The hearing throws a spotlight on the debate over his management of the United States border policies and whether these actions constitute legal grounds for impeachment. Several constitutional experts, including scholar Philip Bobbitt, have discussed the implications of impeachment, viewing it as a drastic measure to be used with restraint. Republicans, led by Rep. Mark Green, have accused Secretary Mayorkas of not adequately enforcing the laws set by Congress, labeling it as gross incompetence.
Legal Threshold for Impeachment
Department of Homeland Security's Position
During the hearing, testimonies were heard from Republican attorneys general from several states, advocating for more rigorous border security measures. In response to these claims, the Department of Homeland Security defended its work, highlighting the removal of about 1.4 million individuals in the fiscal year 2022, and emphasing efforts to counteract drug trafficking, especially of fentanyl. Nonetheless, recently published government figures show that border apprehensions surpassed 2.4 million in the fiscal year 2023. Even within the Republican party, voices like Rep. Ken Buck and Rep. Tom McClintock have raised concerns regarding the unconvincing evidence supporting Mayorkas' impeachment. Further, the majority of more than two dozen legal scholars have cautioned GOP leaders that impeaching Mayorkas might upset the balance of powers and lack constitutional substantiation.
Ongoing Inquiries and Future Proceedings
The House Republicans' focus on impeachment inquiries expands beyond Mayorkas, with ongoing investigations into President Joe Biden and contemplations of holding his son, Hunter Biden, in contempt of Congress. With more hearings planned by the House Homeland Security Committee, the next steps may involve drafting potential articles of impeachment, although the opposition and some in the GOP express skepticism about the legitimacy and repercussions of these legislative decisions. Alexander Mayorkas, if impeached, would become the first Homeland Security secretary to face such an event, with the only other Cabinet official to have been impeached dating back to Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876.
