House Republicans are preparing to present articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate, beginning a process that has been brewing for months. This comes after the House voted to impeach Mayorkas in February, marking the first time a Cabinet secretary has been impeached in nearly 150 years. The articles of impeachment accuse Mayorkas of failing to enforce immigration laws and allowing migrants to enter the U.S. in violation of federal laws. Despite support from House Republicans, the Senate trial’s duration, seen as a political stunt by many, has not been decided.
Many Republicans in Congress believe Mayorkas should be impeached for his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border, accusing him of not enforcing laws and allowing tens of thousands of migrants to enter the country. The Department of Homeland Security has called the impeachment effort “baseless” and urged Republicans to focus on funding national security missions and improving the immigration system. The articles of impeachment accuse Mayorkas of violating immigration and border security laws and making false statements to Congress and the public. However, some constitutional scholars argue that the allegations do not meet the standard for impeachable offenses.
The House will transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate, triggering the Senate’s responsibility to hold a trial. Democrats control the Senate, and they will decide the trial’s schedule, which could result in Mayorkas’s removal from office. House impeachment managers are expected to present the articles to the Senate, with Sen. Patty Murray presiding over the trial. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer emphasized the importance of addressing the issue of impeachment expediently while noting that it should not be used to settle policy disagreements, setting a dangerous precedent. House Republicans are urging Schumer to schedule a public trial to hear their arguments against Mayorkas.
Despite the support for impeachment from House Republicans, the effort is unlikely to succeed in the Senate, where Democrats hold the majority. The Constitution grants the House the power of impeachment and the Senate the authority to hold a trial. The process involves presenting the articles of impeachment to the Senate, which must schedule a trial soon after. The majority in the Senate can decide how the trial proceeds, either speeding it up, delaying it, or dismissing it altogether. The impeachment managers, including GOP representatives, are committed to presenting their case in a public trial and are urging the Senate to act swiftly in addressing the issue.
