A GOP-led House committee has decided to go ahead with impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas after two attempts at the measure late last year failed, according to a report.
Mayorkas ‘Failure’ on Migration
The committee alleges Mayorkas has “failed” to properly deal with a surge in migrants arrivals into the United States via its southern border with Mexico, and that taxpayers are having to pay a massive bill to pay for housing and medical care.
Impeachment Proceedings to Get Underway
Mark Green, Republican of Tennessee and chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, told the Punchbowl News website that proceedings to impeach Mayorkas would begin next week.
Accountability Demand
The Republican representative for Tennessee’s 7th District told the site: “Our investigation made clear that this crisis finds its foundation in Secretary Mayorkas’ decision-making and refusal to enforce the laws passed by Congress, and that his failure to fulfill his oath of office demands accountability.”
‘Importance of Impeachment’
Green continued: “The bipartisan House vote in November to refer articles of impeachment to my Committee only served to highlight the importance of our taking up the impeachment process – which is what we will begin doing next Wednesday.”
Committee’s Migrant Report
The committee’s report into the migrant crisis, released late last year, sparked calls among Republicans for Mayorkas to be removed.
$451 Billion in Costs
The sheer numbers of migrants coming into the US without authorization was leading to “staggering financial costs” of some $451 billion, to pay for housing, medical care and other costs, the report said.
Democrats Faulted
The committee said in its report that President Joe Biden, a Democrat, and his Homeland Security chief were responsible for what it called the “worst border crisis in American history.”
Biden’s Immigration Plan
Republicans accuse President Biden of having an “open-border” policy on immigration as record numbers of undocumented people arrive at the southern border in an attempt to enter the United States. Some cities, like New York, say they are “inundated” by the numbers of arrivals, which, they said, are putting a strain on their public services.
Reopening Border Entry Points
The Biden administration closed four points of entry at the southern border last year as US Customs and Border Protection officials struggled to cope with the migrant influx. Those entry points – in Eagle Pass, Texas; San Ysidro, California; Lukeville, Arizona; and Nogales, Arizona – would reopen this week, the White House said.
Trump’s Border Wall
Former President Trump, who is seeking reelection in November, clamped down on immigration by starting the construction of a contentious wall along the southern border with Mexico to stop people from entering the US illegally. President Biden, who defeated Trump in the 2020 election, halted further construction of the wall when he took office, although he has since ordered that some work can begin again, because federal funding was previously allocated.
Trump’s Immigration Ban
Trump also banned people from arriving from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, saying those countries presented a terrorist threat to the United States. Biden lifted the ban when he assumed office, and has introduced measures to provide a “path to citizenship” for millions of undocumented migrants living in the country.
Biden and Trump in 2024
President Biden and Trump are the Democratic and Republican party frontrunners for the 2024 primaries ahead of the election in November. If they receive their parties’ nominations, immigration is certain to be a main topic during presidential debates, with both men holding vastly different views on the subject and how the border crisis can be resolved.
Biden Impeachment Moves
Along with attempting to impeach the Homeland Security chief, House Republicans are also trying to remove President Biden from office. They claim he illegally profited from businesses his son, Hunter, set up during his father’s time as vice president under President Barack Obama. Democrats say there is no proof and that nothing illegal happened.
Mayorkas First Hearing
The first hearing into a possible impeachment of Mayorkas is titled “Havoc in the Heartland: How Secretary Mayorkas’ Failed Leadership Has Impacted the States,” Punchbowl News reported. It is expected to look at how states in the Midwest have struggled to deal with the amount of migrants arriving in them over the last number of years from across the southern border.
‘No Valid Basis’ to Impeach
A Democratic spokesperson, Mia Ehrenberg, said Republicans’ attempts to impeach Mayorkas, who is not expected to initially appear in proceedings, would fail because there was “no valid basis” to remove him from office.
Read More
Terrifying Prospects: 12 Moves Trump Could Unleash If Re-elected in 2024
21 Things MAGA Followers Permanently Destroyed For Everyone Else