By Casey Harper (The Center Square)
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., sent a letter Thursday to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-Calif., demanding he hold a full impeachment trial against the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas.
Johnson sent the letter to Schumer saying the articles of impeachment against Mayorkas would be delivered to the Senate on April 10.
The letter comes after the House narrowly voted last month to impeach Mayorkas, highlighting the border crisis and unprecedented illegal flow of foreign nationals and drugs into the United States since President Joe Biden took office.
Johnson said Mayorkas was impeached “for high crimes and misdemeanors, including his willful and systemic failure to comply with the law and his abuse of the public trust.”
“The evidence on both charges is clear, complete and convincing, and the House’s solemn act to impeach the first sitting Cabinet official in American history demands prompt action by the Senate,” he said. he added.
In particular, Johnson and the House Republicans who voted to impeach Mayorkas claim that he intentionally refused to enforce current immigration laws and created new migration programs that violate those laws. Since Biden took office, more than 11 million illegal immigrants have entered the United States, overwhelming border communities and the major cities in which they settle.
The border crisis has also led to the arrests of hundreds of people with known or suspected ties to terrorists who attempted to enter the United States illegally and an unknown number of people who managed to enter the country without being detected. Fentanyl overdoses have also increased as Mexican drug cartels exploit the more open U.S. borders.
“He refused to comply with the requirements of the immigration laws passed by Congress. In fact, he directed, through a series of memoranda, DHS employees to violate U.S. immigration laws,” Johnson said in the letter. “As a result, the Secretary of State is responsible for releasing millions of illegal aliens into the interior and creating illegal mass parole programs. Throughout his tenure, he repeatedly lied to Congress and the American people about the scale of the crisis and his role in it. His illegal actions are responsible for the historic crisis that has devastated communities across our country, from the smallest border town in Texas to New York.
In his letter, Johnson went on to emphasize that Congress had the constitutional authority to impeach Mayorkas.
“We call on you to fulfill your constitutional obligation to hold this trial,” Johnson said. “The American people demand a secure border, an end to this crisis and accountability. Filing articles of impeachment without ever hearing a single argument or examining a piece of evidence would be a violation of our constitutional order and an affront to the American people.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott met with Johnson on Thursday in Austin to discuss the ongoing impact of the border crisis. According to a press release from the governor’s office, Abbott urged Johnson “to pass border security legislation that will help end illegal crossings between ports of entry along the southern border.”
Abbott also shared details with the speaker about Operation Lone Star, Texas’ border security mission.
Syndicated with authorization from the Place du Center.