House Republicans released two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for his management of the immigration crisis. They accused him of “high crimes and misdemeanors.”
Republicans accuse the secretary of a "willful and systematic refusal" to comply with federal immigration laws. For example, they accuse him of a executing a so-called catch and release policy by releasinh immigrants in the country who should have been immediately detained and deported.
They also point out that his power to grant parole was exceeded by not obeying legislation that dictates that it can only be granted on a case-by-case basis, temporarily and if it responds to an urgent humanitarian need or a significant public benefit. As an example of this violation of this power, House Republicans point to some parole programs for Ukrainians and Hispanic Americans.
Mayorkas is also accused of a "breach of public trust." The official "knowingly made false statements, and knowingly obstructed lawful oversight of the Department of Homeland Security, principally to obfuscate the results of his willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law." The congressmen say he falsely claimed that "U.S. Border Patrol agents maliciously whipped illegal aliens." In addition, they accuse him of ignoring congressional summons and suspending the construction of the wall on the border with Mexico, among others.
These failures, they say, resulted in "millions of aliens [that] have illegally entered the United States on an annual basis with many unlawfully remaining in the United States." Mayorkas is also accused of ceding control of the southern border to drug cartels.
"Wherefore Alejandro N. Mayorkas, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to national and border security, the safety of the American people, and to the Constitution if allowed to remain in office," the charges state. Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, will present them next Tuesday before the rest of the House. "Alejandro Mayorkas thus warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States."
Read the full articles here
Impeachment Alejandro Mayorkas by Santiago Adolfo Ospital on Scribd
DHS fights back
The Department of Homeland Security described the allegations as nothing more than "political games" in their response Sunday.
"They don’t want to fix the problem; they want to campaign on it," asserts a statement from the department, which also accuses Republicans pushing Mayorkas’ impeachment to disrupt negotiations to reach a bipartisan agreement on the border.
The DHS claims that the chairman and members of the committee set out to seek the secretary's removal before they had evidence against him. It also asserts that the impeachment attempt is unconstitutional and that they failed to prove any crime was committed.
