The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives submitted two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Democratic-majority Senate, where it is anticipated to be swiftly rejected.
House Republican “managers” read aloud their accusations of Mayorkas failing to enforce immigration laws and misleading Congress.
Senators remained silent as they listened to the charges. The move follows a year of record-high illegal immigration, with voters expressing concern ahead of upcoming elections.
The 100 senators are set to be sworn in as jurors on Wednesday for a trial expected to last at least a week.
However, Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer aims to halt the proceedings, labeling the Republican effort as politically motivated and lacking evidence of wrongdoing by Mayorkas.
Schumer criticized the House’s tactic, stating, “Every time there’s a policy disagreement in the House, they send it over here and tie the Senate in knots to do an impeachment trial? That’s absurd.
“That’s an abuse of the process.
“That is more chaos.”
Republicans plan to use procedural tactics to impede Democrats from dismissing the case or to delay the process, according to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.
Mayorkas spent nearly three hours testifying before the House Homeland Security Committee earlier in the day, despite the hearing originally being about his agency’s budget.
Some lawmakers argue that impeachment is a poor use of time given pressing global issues.
Mayorkas denies the charges, with President Biden supporting him. Some Republicans also see no evidence of illegal activity supporting the allegations.
Although many Republicans accuse Mayorkas of creating a crisis at the southern border, the House delayed delivering impeachment papers to the Senate for over two months.
Former President Trump, known for his focus on immigration, has continued to play a role in the debate, proposing legislation linking border conditions to his unfounded claims of election fraud.
Senate Republicans, unhappy with Schumer’s push for dismissal, have been using procedural tactics to disrupt routine Senate operations.
Mayorkas is only the second presidential cabinet official to face impeachment, with the last instance occurring in 1876.