Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX) filed articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday. As promised, the new Republican-controlled House is going after the person who — after the president — is most responsible for the border mess.
This historic filing came on the first day of the 188th Congress when the GOP assumed leadership of the lower chamber.
In a statement to Fox News, Fallon alleged that the DHS secretary has “undermined law enforcement activities at our southern border.” Then he listed a pair of infractions he placed at the feet of Mayorkas.
First was his testimony before Congress of “maintaining operational security” on the border with Mexico. Then Fallon recounted what he termed Mayorkas’ slanderous statements against border agents in the infamous “whip-gate” scandal that proved to not be what it was said to be.
The filing further asserted that the secretary “engaged in a pattern of conduct that is incompatible with his duties.”
In a release, Fallon said that Mayorkas’ “willful actions erode our immigration system, undermine border patrol morale, and imperil American national security.” The GOP representative added that the secretary “must be removed from office.”
The White House, for one brief shining moment, is currently engaged with the border crisis. Initially, it was President Joe Biden making his first visit to the besieged border in almost two years in office.
BREAKING: Articles of impeachment have been filed against DHS Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas, per Fox News!
Welcome to 2023!🎊🇺🇸
— James Bradley (@JamesBradleyCA) January 10, 2023
Then Mayorkas arrived in Mexico to meet with regional officials there and discuss various issues. Among them is the shared migration agreement announced last week by the Biden administration.
Fallon’s action is merely a first step in an otherwise lengthy process. Its progression depends on House leadership, and that falls on newly elected Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
For his part, McCarthy told a press conference at the border in November that “House Republicans will investigate every order, every action and every failure (and) will determine whether we can begin impeachment.”
The DHS responded to the articles of impeachment on Tuesday by defending the secretary.
In a statement by Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Marsha Espinosa, the agency said Mayorkas “is proud to advance the noble mission of this Department, support its extraordinary workforce, and serve the American people.”
Mayorkas may indeed be impeached by the House of Representatives, and rightfully so. But it is the president who issues marching orders and sets the tone for the administration, and Biden has shirked his duty to protect the southern border of the nation at every turn.
