In controversial vote, US House impeaches Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas

By Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US House of Representatives on Tuesday voted 214-213 to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for allegedly failing to enforce immigration law at the country's southern border.

"Alejandro Mayorkas deserves to be impeached, and Congress has a constitutional obligation to do so," House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement after the vote, which followed a failed effort to do the same last week.

"Next to a declaration of war, impeachment is arguably the most serious authority given to the House and we have treated this matter accordingly," he said.

However, critics say a House impeachment probe into Mayorkas failed to find any evidence of “high crimes and misdemeanors,” which is the standard for impeachment, saying the move is purely political.

This is only the second time in nearly 250 years of US history that a Cabinet official has been impeached, the first being Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876.

“History will not look kindly on House Republicans for their blatant act of unconstitutional partisanship,” said President Joe Biden after the vote.

“Giving up on real solutions right when they are needed most in order to play politics is not what the American people expect from their leaders,” he said in a statement.

“Congress needs to act to give me, Secretary Mayorkas, and my administration the tools and resources needed to address the situation at the border.”

After the House last week rejected a deal for tougher border controls that it had demanded, with former President and current candidate Donald Trump saying he did not want to give Biden a “win,” Democrats said Republicans have no real interest in border security, and only want to use it as a campaign issue.

The charges against Mayorkas would typically be sent to the Democrat-controlled Senate for a trial, but both Democratic and Republican senators have shown no interest in the matter.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday described the impeachment as a "sham."

The Senate is on a two-week recess until Feb. 26.