The House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, accusing him of failing to secure the southern border and lying to Congress.
The vote, which passed by a narrow margin of 214-213, marked the first time a Cabinet secretary has been impeached since 1876, and the second time a Cabinet official has been impeached in US history.
The impeachment resolution was introduced by House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana.
He alleged that Alejandro Mayorkas committed high crimes and misdemeanors by violating federal immigration laws, obstructing congressional oversight, and making false statements under oath.
The impeachment vote followed a swift and partisan process that lasted less than a month, and was met with fierce opposition and criticism from Democrats, who denounced it as a baseless and unconstitutional political stunt.
The Democrats argued that Mayorkas’ actions did not rise to the level of impeachable offenses, and that he was trying to address the complex and longstanding challenges at the border humanely and lawfully.
President Joe Biden also expressed his strong support for Mayorkas in a statement released by the White House. He said,
“Instead of staging political stunts like this, Republicans with genuine concerns about the border should want Congress to deliver more border resources and stronger border security. Sadly, the same Republicans pushing this baseless impeachment are rejecting bipartisan plans Secretary Mayorkas and others in my administration have worked hard on to strengthen border security at this very moment — reversing from years of their own demands to pass stronger border bills.”
The impeachment resolution now moves to the Senate, where it faces a slim chance of conviction, as it would require a two-thirds majority vote. The Senate is currently controlled by the Democrats, who have 51 seats, while the Republicans have 49.
