The U.S. House has voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over the Biden administration’s handling of the U.S-Mexico border. The Republican majority, determined to punish the administration, faced staunch Democratic opposition but managed to secure a 214-213 vote in favor of impeachment. This historic rebuke marks the first time a Cabinet secretary has faced such charges in nearly 150 years. Mayorkas was accused of refusing to enforce immigration laws and lying to Congress about border security. However, critics argue that the charges amount to a policy dispute rather than high crimes and misdemeanors.
The House initially launched an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden over his son’s business dealings but shifted its focus to Mayorkas after pressure from Trump ally Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. The charges against Mayorkas would now go to the Senate for a trial, but neither Democratic nor Republican senators have shown interest, and the matter may be indefinitely shelved. Border security has become a top campaign issue, with Donald Trump promising to launch a large-scale deportation operation if he returns to the White House. House Republicans have prepared legislation to deport migrants temporarily allowed into the U.S. under Biden’s policies.
Despite the push for stricter border policies, Johnson rejected a bipartisan Senate border security package and has struggled to advance Republicans’ own proposal. Last week, three Republican representatives broke ranks over the Mayorkas impeachment, with leading conservative scholars dismissing it as unwarranted and a waste of time. Mayorkas did not appear to testify during the impeachment proceedings but placed the blame for the border crisis on Congress for failing to update immigration laws. Johnson and Republicans argue that the Biden administration could take executive actions to halt border crossings, although some of Trump’s efforts were questioned and overturned by the courts.
Last week’s failed vote to impeach Mayorkas was a surprising outcome in a chamber that has seen months of GOP chaos. One Republican holdout, Rep. Mike Gallagher, announced he would not be seeking reelection in the fall, joining a growing list of serious-minded Republican lawmakers leaving office. The failed vote was tied when Rep. Al Green, who had been hospitalized for surgery, made a surprise arrival to vote against impeachment. Democrats and Republicans are both hoping for wins in the upcoming New York special election, but the outcome remains uncertain.
