On Tuesday, the US house of Representatives, under Republican control, voted by a slim margin to impeach President Joe Biden’s chief border official. They alleged that his lenient policies have fostered illegal immigration.
With a narrow margin of 214-213 votes, the House endorsed two impeachment articles against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The charges include his alleged negligence in enforcing U.S. immigration laws, which Republicans contend led to an unprecedented surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, and accusations of making false declarations to Congress.
On its second try, the US House of Representatives impeached the Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas by a single vote, in a process some Jewish groups said was tainted by antisemitic rhetoric.
— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) February 14, 2024
A week after Speaker Mike Johnson suffered a legislative setback due to a failed vote, a crucial change occurred. Republican Representative Steve Scalise, who had been absent from last week’s vote due to cancer treatment, made a significant return to Washington this week, casting a pivotal vote.
However, the chances of the Senate, which is dominated by Democrats, voting to remove Mayorkas are quite slim.
Since President Biden assumed office in 2021, there has been an unprecedented number of illegal border crossings from Mexico. This issue has been a central point in the campaign against Biden by former President Donald Trump.
Mayorkas has stated that he is not accountable for the border situation, attributing it to a dysfunctional U.S. immigration system that Congress has failed to rectify.
Constitutional scholars, along withsome Republicans, have stated that the House’s investigation into Mayorkas did not yield evidence of the “high crimes and misdemeanors” that the U.S. Constitution specifies as grounds for impeachment. They have instead characterized the conflict as simply “policy disagreements.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported a 50% decrease in the arrests of migrants attempting illegal crossings at the southern border in January, compared to the high figures recorded in December. The agency attributed this significant drop to seasonal patterns and heightened enforcement measures implemented by the U.S. and its allied nations.
In a memorandum issued on Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security stood by Mayorkas’ border control measures. It urged Congress to collaborate with the Biden administration to modernize obsolete laws, rather than contributing to what it referred to as a “mockery of an impeachment.”
The vote on Tuesday followed a week after staunch Senate Republicans, spurred by Trump, rejected a bipartisan agreement aimed at enhancing border security. This agreement, if passed, would have marked the most comprehensive change in border security policy in several decades, as per its advocates, which include Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.
“Primarily, it’s the House Republicans who are battling to fortify our national borders single-handedly,” stated Republican Representative John Rose on Tuesday. He further added, “In essence, the Democrats approve of his performance, or rather, his lack of action,” arguing in favor of Mayorkas’ impeachment.
In the House, Republicans maintain a narrow majority with 219 seats against 212.
When the House was under Democratic control, Trump faced impeachment twice. However, during both instances, the Senate, which was dominated by Republicans, acquitted him.
At present, House Republicans are examining if any actions taken by Biden prior to his presidency could be classified as a high crime or misdemeanor, potentially leading to impeachment. However, some Republicans have stated that they have not yet found such evidence.
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