WASHINGTON — Last month House lawmakers voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas accusing him of failing to do his job when it comes to keeping the southern border secure.
Ever since President Biden took office over three years ago, illegal immigration across the southern border has increased significantly which has had Republicans in Washington demanding action from the White House.
With nothing satisfactory coming from those demands GOP lawmakers in the House have called for Mayorkas to be removed from his job. The House has done its part in pushing to achieve that goal, but now it’s up to the Senate to hold a trial.
“The Senate must hold a full impeachment trial of Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas,” said Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) “Secretary Mayorkas is breaking the law every day he releases illegal immigrants into the United States.”
Republicans accused the White House of Using “catch and release” measures when dealing with the surge of migrants at the border. Braun said many of these cases include border patrol simply apprehending those who are crossing the border illegally and then releasing them into the U.S. without any summons to go through immigration proceedings.
Because of this Braun said on the Senate floor Monday that the indictment of Mayorkas is just as much an indictment of President Biden.
“Secretary Mayorkas is the most important player in President Biden’s open border agenda, but we must remember that President Biden is calling the shots,” Braun said.
He brought up the murder of Lakyn Riley in his address. Riley was a nursing student at the University of Georgia who was murdered by a man on the Athens campus who was in the country illegally.
Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer has called Mayorkas’ impeachment a “sham.”
Democrats hold a two-seat majority in the U.S. Senate. They could end up using that majority to kill the impeachment proceedings before they even start. The Senate must vote to hold an impeachment trial once House managers, who act as prosecutors, bring the articles of impeachment over to the Senate. But, Schumer may file a motion to dismiss the impeachment.
At a briefing with reporters on Friday, Mayorkas said he is not paying attention to his impeachment.
“When I say that I am not focused on the impeachment proceedings, I actually mean it,” Mayorkas said. “It is my hope that my time is not taken away from my work.”
