Three Republican state attorneys general on Wednesday demanded that the House remove Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, calling him the “architect” of the “destruction” caused by the massive immigration crisis along the southern border.
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond and Missouri’s Andrew Bailey told members of the House Homeland Security Committee that Mayorkas had failed to enforce immigration laws. of the country and misled Congress by insisting that the White House has “operational control” of the US border.
Each witness said that as a result, their states had been forced to bear the cost of millions of illegal aliens arriving in their jurisdictions thanks to what one called “false” asylum claims.
The AGs also lamented the increasing rates of human and drug trafficking.
“We do not deserve to have our communities flooded with illegal drugs that were smuggled across an insecure border. And we don’t deserve to have those same drugs take our loved ones away from us,” Drummond said.
Three Republican state attorneys general testified at a committee hearing Wednesday that the House should impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. REUTERS “Secretary Mayorkas is the architect of that destruction that the American people are watching. They know our border was secure just a few years ago,” said Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen. Go Nakamura for the NY Post
“There is only one reason 8 million people illegally cross a sovereign nation’s border,” Bailey added, “because they know they can get away with it.”
“Secretary Mayorkas is the architect of that destruction that the American people are watching. You know our border was secure just a few years ago,” Knudsen told panel members.
“The most devastating impact of the open border in Montana has been the massive quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine from the Mexican cartel,” added the mountain man.
“The conclusion is clear. Secretary Mayorkas has violated his oath of office. “I urge this body to hold an impeachment trial.”
Knudsen, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, and Andrew Bailey of Missouri spoke with members of the House Homeland Security Committee. C-SPAN
A Department of Homeland Security memo circulated before the hearing criticized House Republicans for “their years-long, politically motivated attacks on DHS.”
“After decades of congressional inaction on our broken immigration laws, Secretary Mayorkas and a bipartisan group of senators are working hard to try to find real solutions to address these challenges,” the memo reads.
“Instead of working in a bipartisan manner to fix our broken immigration laws, the House majority is wasting time on baseless and useless political attacks in trying to impeach Secretary Mayorkas.”
The memo also cites former Republican officials and current Republican members of Congress who have expressed opposition to impeaching Mayorkas, as well as statements from Republican lawmakers who said impeachment was a “guaranteed” outcome before the procedure began.
Members of the Republican panel agreed that considering Mayorkas’ removal from office was a “solemn” matter for the House, but their year-long investigation had uncovered devastating costs. James Keivom
Members of the Republican panel agreed that considering Mayorkas’ removal from office was a “solemn” matter for the House, but noted that their year-long investigation had revealed not only growing crime problems but devastating costs to the states. and cities.
“New York City alone projects that it will have to spend $12 billion to address the flow of illegal aliens into the city by 2025,” Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) noted during his opening remarks.
“I wish we weren’t sitting here today. I wish these procedures were not necessary. I wish our southwestern border was secure. I wish our government would enforce the laws passed by Congress and do its job to keep the American people safe,” he added. “And unfortunately Secretary Mayorkas has not done any of these things.
“For nearly a year, the House Homeland Security Committee has conducted a comprehensive investigation into the causes, costs and consequences of the unprecedented crisis at our southwest border,” Green continued. “Our evidence makes this clear. “Secretary Mayorkas is the architect of the devastation we have witnessed for almost three years.”
“New York City alone projects that it will have to spend $12 billion to address the flow of illegal aliens into the city by 2025,” Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) noted during his opening remarks. C-SPAN
The House has not impeached a Cabinet official since William Belknap, secretary of war under President Ulysses S. Grant, confessed to accepting bribe payments from military suppliers in March 1876. Belknap resigned shortly before the impeachment vote. and was acquitted by the Senate.
Far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) introduced an impeachment resolution against Mayorkas last November that was blocked in a full House vote by Democrats and eight Republican lawmakers, sending the matter to the House Committee on Security. National.
The Georgia congresswoman referred to the millions of migrants crossing the US border as an “ongoing invasion,” calling it “a direct threat to national security” and suggesting that Mayorkas had committed “serious crimes and misdemeanors.”
At least 3.8 million people have entered the United States since President Biden took office in January 2021, and 1.5 million people who “escaped” evaded detection by authorities. James Keivom
At least 3.8 million people have entered the United States since President Biden took office in January 2021, and 1.5 million people who “escaped” evaded detection by authorities, according to the database TRAC Immigration Program at Syracuse University.
Republican committee members and witnesses, including Greene, cited a much higher figure of 8 million encounters with immigrants nationwide by Border Patrol agents, CBP data shows.
During former President Donald Trump’s administration, CBP recorded approximately 3 million encounters nationwide between fiscal years 2017 and 2020.
Greene’s resolution also alleges that Mayorkas has violated the right of American citizens to protection from trespass, as set forth in the Guarantee Clause of Article IV of the Constitution, and completely ignored the Secure Fence Act of 2006.
Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) also noted that the president had promised campaign donors that he would impeach Mayorkas after House Republicans won the majority. C-SPAN
But Democratic lawmakers pointed to statements by their colleagues that preceded the resolution and called for Mayorkas’ ouster, and their witness, University of Missouri School of Law professor Frank Bowman, testified that Mayorkas’ conduct had not reached the level of a political trial.
Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) also noted that Green had promised campaign donors that he would go after Mayorkas if Republicans gained the House majority in the 2022 elections.
In April 2023, Green told attendees at a House Freedom Caucus fundraiser in Tennessee that his committee planned to bring charges outlining Mayorkas’ “dereliction of duty” to the House Judiciary Committee, the New York Times reported.
“We’re going to impeach him,” Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) also said in the middle of the hearing.
“I have long argued that the House should impeach Mayorkas, and today the case has never been stronger,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), another member of the panel, said Wednesday in a “Dear Colleague” letter. .
“A series of committee hearings since my last update on the case to impeach Mayorkas demonstrate that he has clearly lied under oath regarding maintaining DHS ‘operational control’ at the southern border,” Roy wrote. “It goes without saying that lying under oath is an impeachable offense.”
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