WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — House Republicans advanced their efforts to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Homeland Security Committee had a hearing called “Havoc in the Heartland: How Secretary Mayorkas’ Failed Leadership Has Impacted the States” Wednesday morning.
“Today is a solemn occasion as this committee begins official impeachment proceedings in the matter of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and his handling of America’s borders since taking office in February 2021,” Tennessee Republican Rep. Mark Green, the committee chair, said.
“Our evidence makes it clear: Secretary Mayorkas is the architect of the devastation that we have witnessed for nearly three years.”
Green has accused Mayorkas of misusing taxpayer dollars, failing to live up to his oath and losing control of the border.
Mayorkas did not attend the hearing.
Earlier this week, though, he defended his record, The Hill reported.
“Some have accused DHS of not enforcing our nation’s laws. This could not be further from the truth,” Mayorkas said Monday. “Having begun my public service career as a federal prosecutor for 12 years, ultimately serving as the United States Attorney, there is nothing I take more seriously than our responsibility to uphold the law, and the men and women of DHS are working around the clock to do so.”
Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., stated that Mayorkas will face impeachment. To emphasize this, the committee summoned testimony from attorney generals from Montana, Oklahoma and Missouri, all of whom criticized Mayorakas, accusing him of violating his oath and failing to enforce laws.
“It’s also an understatement to say that I was horrified to see this administration under Secretary Mayorkas’ leadership begin to erase that progress and systematically dismantle policies and programs meant to secure our borders,” said Montana Attorney General Austin Kundsen.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said without Mayorkas taking responsibility “for the consequences of his actions,” the states will bear the “enormous cost” of his failure.
“The states should not need to do the federal government’s job for them,” Bailey said.
Wednesday’s hearing was the first after a yearslong probe to examine what they are calling the secretary’s “failed leadership” as the southern border experiences a surge of migrants.
“That problem is not instability in other countries; it’s not poverty, it’s not climate change, it’s not a supposedly broken immigration system … all of these excuses have long predated Sec. Mayorkas’ tenure, and yet we’ve never experienced a crisis like this,” Green said.
Democrats argued the hearing was a political stunt with no reasonable basis.
“This is not a legitimate impeachment,” said Mississippi Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson. “Republicans want to throw political red meat to their base and keep that campaign cash coming. They know their already razor-thin majority is slipping away and think impeaching Secretary Mayorkas, even though there’s absolutely no basis for it, will keep them in control of the House.”
Additionally, Republicans focused on how the crisis has impacted states in the Midwest, but in a statement obtained by NewsNation, DHS called this politically motivated attack an inefficient use of time.
“The House Republicans are playing political games instead of doing their jobs — that’s what they’re doing,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. “It’s really shameful that this is how they choose to focus on. What American people want to see is Congress deliver and House Republicans want to play political games.”
The border is expected to be a key issue in the 2024 election, and Wednesday’s hearing follows a record-setting fiscal year for encounters along the southern border.
Customs and Border Protection sources confirmed to NewsNation that December 2023 marked the highest monthly number ever recorded, with more than 300,000 encounters. However, the number of crossings has dropped in January. That is somewhat expected, as migration patterns historically show a dip in numbers at the end of December through the first part of the year.
“All the warning lights are now blinking,” said Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan. “This is why we should fire Secretary Mayorkas and give Joe Biden the message that he’s next in 300 days.”
The timing for the House to hold a full vote to forward the impeachment to the Senate remains uncertain. However, when or if it happens, the case likely won’t progress far in the Democrat-controlled Senate.