AMAC Exclusive – By Shane Harris
![Biden-Mayorkas-Hawaii-Brief-2 President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the whole-of-government response to this month’s Maui wildfires, Wednesday, August 30, 2023, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. He's joined by, from left, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)](https://static-asset.amac.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/02094933/Biden-Mayorkas-Hawaii-Brief-2.jpg)
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas could become the first cabinet secretary in 150 years to be impeached following a vote in the House Homeland Security Committee on January 31 to advance two articles of impeachment to the House floor. Although Mayorkas will almost certainly survive the Senate trial to remove him from office, the vote will nonetheless be a prime opportunity for Republicans to force Democrats and the corporate media to acknowledge the scope and severity of the border crisis.
Following a 15-hour hearing, the Homeland Security Committee voted 18-15 to charge Mayorkas with “willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law” as well as a “breach of public trust.”
The first impeachment article stems specifically from DHS’s “catch and release” policy, which requires immigration authorities to release detainees who are awaiting court proceedings – some of which aren’t scheduled until a decade from now. In effect, this policy allows anyone to show up at the border, claim asylum, and then be released into the interior of the country for years on end.
The second impeachment article stems from Mayorkas’s repeated attempts to mislead Congress about the border crisis, as well as attempts to thwart congressional oversight.
Back in March 2021, for instance, Mayorkas infamously told the Homeland Security Committee that he had “operational control” of the border, despite the fact that illegal crossings were nearing 200,000 per month and would only continue to rise. Last January, he also prevented several top border patrol officials from testifying before the House Oversight Committee – another apparent attempt to mask the facts of the crisis from the American people.
In October 2022, Mayorkas drew additional scrutiny over his response to uproar from the corporate media over photos that appeared to show border patrol agents whipping illegal aliens as they crossed the border. Despite the fact that the story was later completely debunked and emails showed Mayorkas knew immediately the “whipping” narrative was entirely false, he nonetheless described the incident as an example of “systemic racism” and retaliated against the agents seen in the photos.
Mayorkas’ impeachment comes following the worst year on record for illegal border crossings, with more than 3.2 million encounters reported by Customs and Border Patrol in 2023. December was the worst single month on record, with 302,034 encounters. In total, more than 8 million people have crossed the border illegally since Joe Biden took office – more than the population of 38 states.
“The facts are indisputable — for three years, Secretary Mayorkas has willfully and systematically refused to comply with laws enacted by Congress, and he has breached the public trust,” Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) said during the impeachment hearing. “His actions created this unprecedented crisis, turning every state into a border state.”
However, some conservative media voices have expressed skepticism or even outright opposition to the impeachment effort, arguing either that Republicans don’t have a strong enough case for impeachment or that impeachment is useless. The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board, for instance, declared plainly, “impeaching Mayorkas achieves nothing.”
There is, however, reason to question this analysis.
It’s true that Mayorkas will almost certainly survive a Senate vote. But already the trial and its historic nature are forcing media outlets that have actively avoided virtually any mention of the border since Biden took office to acknowledge Republicans’ charges against Mayorkas – and in doing so mention the unfolding disaster.
Moreover, every House Democrat will now be on record as voting to keep Mayorkas in office despite his willful dismantling of our southern border. Combined with a recent vote where 150 House Democrats voted against deporting illegal aliens convicted of a DUI, it will be difficult for any Democrat – including those in swing districts – to escape association with their party’s open borders extremism.
It’s also worth noting that Republicans’ evidence against Mayorkas is far more substantive than that which launched Democrats’ two spurious impeachments against former President Donald Trump. As the House impeachment resolution outlines, Mayorkas has clearly violated the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to take all actions “necessary and appropriate to achieve and maintain operational control over the entire international land and maritime borders of the United States.”
Mayorkas’s decision to release illegal aliens into the interior of the country is also a clear violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to detain illegal border crossers.
In the case of Democrats’ impeachments against Trump, there was also virtually no chance the Senate would vote to convict the former president. Yet Democrats proceeded anyway in order to use the sham hearings as a political cudgel against Trump and every other Republican who supported him. Republicans now have the opportunity to do the same to one of Biden’s top lieutenants – except this time backed up by far more legitimate accusations.
The main question now is if House Republicans will remain united enough to make the story about Mayorkas, Biden, and the border crisis, rather than GOP infighting. With just 219 members currently in the House GOP caucus, Speaker Mike Johnson can afford just one defection.
With a full House vote expected sometime during the first week of February, Americans won’t have to wait long to find out.
Shane Harris is a writer and political consultant from Southwest Ohio. You can follow him on X @ShaneHarris513.
In my opinion, any Republican who does not vote to impeach Mayorkas is not serious about securing the border and the safety of our Country. These reasons for impeachment are justified:
willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law” as well as a “breach of public trust.”
when is someone going to serve time for all the LAWS that have been broken by this ADMINSTRATION!
“More than 8 million people”? So 9 million? 10 million? 20 million? How does Joe Biden even have 33% approval? Because too many people don’t vote who should and too many stupid ones do who shouldn’t.
Republicans who dont VOTE to impeach are RNC DC Swampers
for Chrissakes my fellow Americans, he along with Joe biden both need to be arrested and imprisoned for allowing foreign invaders to enter with the plans to usurp our nation. Drug smugglers, child traffickers, ISIS, Taliban, who knows? A total disregard for pur country. How many have died in all our wars yet biden and his communist henchmen allow an invasion. I don’t see how a president can allow this, his job is to protect, stop all this. Enough!! Arrest them all and deport illegals, charge biden and his group for allowing and assisting in an invasion of America.
What were they waiting for,the damage is already done.
“…for three years, Secretary Mayorkas has willfully and systematically refused to comply with laws enacted by Congress…”
The Takeaway…Republicans sat on their hands and WATCHED the invasion for THREE YEARS! Now, with millions of unknowns in America, they’ve decided to DO SOMETHING! Obviously, this is an election year.
They only care about the upcoming election so they will clean up their backyard a bit to appear to be concerned. They could not care less about Mayorkas no matter what they say.
I think the boarder can be made secure by getting the meanest JunkYard Dogs to patrol the boarder and let the dogs do their thing, I bet the criminals will retreat and nobody will be to blame just say it was the dogs who did it , you can’t prosicute the dogs.Problem solved.
Biden & Co.= Textbook example of High Treason,according to The United States of America Constution. They,along with all supporting RINO’S should,by that FACT alone must be formally charged and tried. But We The People are overflowing with Apathay towards that matter .Therefore, they just laugh at Americans and continue to destroy America.
We all should know and understand that Myorkas will not be impeached in the Senate. What needs to be broadcast is that impeachment was needed because of the damage he is doing to ALL Americans including his beloved democrats. Use the fact that democrats don’t care and aren’t interested in America and Americans. They don’t care what the illegals do, who they hurt or how much it costs every American who pays taxes (btw: unless you buy absolutely nothing, pay absolutely zero utility bills, don’t drive, you are paying some kind of taxes). This needs to be the Republican campaign talking point, we are being invaded and the democrats don’t care.
Democrats are only confronting the border issue because they want the Ukraine $$$’s to be sent to Zelensky, so that Biden/syndicate can continue to get their $$$ kickbacks. This is my opinion, I don’t think I’m too far off.
Will the same Senate, led by chuckie schumer, that condones Democrat destruction of our integrity at the border, elections, and Ukrainian oversight perform the trial after House impeachment?
Mayorkas let terrorists into this country and millions of migrants into the interior and we don’t know where they are. They can never be located or deported. I think that alone is enough to impeach him. His conduct is 100 times worse than all the charges old Joe has charged Trump with. Of course the dem majority in the senate will never vote to impeach him but maybe later he can be charged with aiding and abetting with the enemy by allowing people to cross the border without any data on them. American citizens are treated worse than these migrants. Mayorkas is a good soldier in Soros army to destroy America and the reps should not settle on a border policy proposed by the dems now. They had three years to follow the laws on the books and they ignored them. They had no plan of their own to implement otherwise they would have done it by executive order. Like so many other ole Joe did. No this is a ploy to get ole Joe re-elected. Don’t fall for it and impeach Mayorkas and after that ole Joe.
Mayorkas is only a cog in the wheel that is being turned by the same hand that manipulates the rest of the puppets The whole show is only an illusion We know he is safe from any action and he knows it as well This nightmare on the border is so well coordinated and orchestrated that had the same form of action been used in Afghanistan perhaps there would be a different outcome
Anyone supporting Biden and his cult in 2024 should be deported, they are not Americans, they support communism to the fullest
The issue I have with holding Mayorkas solely responsible for these crimes is that I have not seen any information on his instructions from his immediate boss. It wouldn’t surprise me if he were not following explicit instructions from his superior who should then share this responsibility.
Biden and everyone in his administration should be next. This whole administration needs to be GONE; it can’t happen soon enough.
Everything Biden and the rest of the crats are saying are blatant lies. Biden at any time, could have sent an executive order to the border agents with orders to suspend any further admittance of illegal aliens into the US. Now, ten million homeless people later, he makes false claims blaming everyone else. This was a plan from the beginning to restructure the US for permanent democrat control and power.
Sounds like he is being made a scape goat. Why dont they get the BIG GUY. ?? He is the head Honcho. Kyle L.
Any Republican who votes against the impeachment of Mayorkas is asking to not be re-elected!! If Republicans can’t have the conviction of the Constitution and the Party along with at least half of the American citizens, then there is no need for this party!!! They continually get to the awesome breaking point and they blow it almost every time!!! One bad apple, one greedy nonconformist can make or break this issue!! This is why we need a larger lead over Democrats!!
I hope the slim margin holds. At least republicans can agree US performance at the border is unacceptable. There seems to be an argument about any topic even within a supposed party. To be strong, we have to get together and push.
Mayorkas is totally delinquent in his job performance.
You don’t have to be a corrupt piece of human filth to be in congress but it helps.
Send Mayorkas to Venezuela
I want to know how these thugs criminals got control of our country. Wake Up America you are losing your country …..Oh how remember sitting in my English class reading My Weekly Reader in It was a article a statement from then Chairman Mao of China wher he said he would take America with out firing a shot …he would ROT us inside out with drugs well……if that isn’t what China is doing to us .Manufacturing Drugs shipping them to Mexical and drug thugs shipping up here isn’t that what Biden was supposed to so with the money he got from China open borders ?????
Mayorkas needs to be impeached. As an act of his will, chose to lie over and over and over again to the American people about the border being secure and being closed. Wave after wave of illegal immigrants flowed across our border and he sits at a Congressional hearing, big-eyed, straight-faced, and lied repeatedly. Joe Biden and his whole administration need to be impeached, thrown out of Washington DC for the parts they all have played in an attempt to destroy this country at the bidding of the democrats.
Mayorkas should be impeached 67 times once for each time he lied to congress.
All democrats are scum and there is no longer any reaosn to try to negotiate or discuss with them as they have no moral basis or integrate. Best to simply give then 20 covid shots since they all loved being pro-vaxxers.
How can the Democrats be such hypocrites !!! This imbecile has done NOTHING to stem the flow of illegals and pronounces that he HAS, and the Democrats vote to keep him in office. The mighty nation of ROME is gone, WE are next in line
The facts speak loudly ; Mayorkas is definitely, intentionally NOT performing his political responsibility to America! He must be outed ASAP!
I would have liked to see you list the 15 house members that voted against moving to impeach Mayorkas. I also want to point out that the Wall Street Editorial page is NOT “conservative” as you labeled it…………
Thank you MTG and house republicans for forcing the invasion of our country into the news and forcing democrats to react.
Impeach him but I think it’s more the upcoming election that is forcing the libs to confront the border catastrophe. The border has become the number 1 issue for real American’s.
Forcing democrats to confront the border crisis is all well and good but WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?! Based on what I’ve seen the democrats will only consider amnesty for illegals and nothing else.
I fear that China could become much more aggressive this year, before the elections, with a massive cyber strike and/or even an EMP to take down much of our infrastructure. There would not be a more opportune time, from their viewpoint, for this type of attack. If this happens, I would expect an embargo to follow. I would also expect President Biden to have been complicit with all of it.
The “Democrat” incumbents would then “postpone” the elections on the premise of a national emergency. That would be it for Republicans.
I’m tired of all the impeachments that are brought before Congress and then nothing happens. Either do something or remove yourself from Congress. You work for the people of the USA, not the other way around. We pay your salary and everyone is very tired of all the talk and nothing happening. We need our government to work for us and remember that our government was founded on “In God we Trust”, so put God back in our government also.
Maybe Trump can repel an terrorist attack by deporting some of loser Joes bad decisions when elected.I knew from the start nominating a dementia ridden person to be the president of this country was a dangerous mistake unfortunately not everyone had my viewpoint.
Not only are the Dems in denial of Mayorkis failure so are the RINO Republicans. That idiot from Colorado and the rest of the no voting RINOS with their “flat no” votes needs to be taken down and dumped off at the border with all of the terrorists that are sneaking in.
A real sack of lying dog SH*T, they need to make a example of this puppet….
The entire Democrat Party and the compliant media should all be charged with treason. This invasion along our border is totally a willful violation of their oaths of office to protect this country and the medias obligation to fully report and expose the corruption of the Democrat Party. The borders should all be closed and all immigration halted until the Congress can come up with a Bipartisan Immigration Policy based on merit.
Who is Mayorkas? How/why did he become Homeland Security Secretary? What are his Bonafide’s?
Mayor Dork Ass just gets his marching orders from Biden, the head of the snake.
2 state solution ? such a crock.
Why Mayorkas?? Biden says all okay & Biden put VP Harris in charge of Border, so who is responsible & what is this admin trying to do with Border? Mayorkas is sort of like shooting the messenger in my opinion.
Democrats need to STOP the BS, and many Republicans as well. You represent the people, you ALL miss that demand and do not.
Consult, ask, and seek input to gauge your decisions [representativeness remember!], and your acting independently to the public whose money you are spending, and, living off has started a movement to change this sickening scam you all participate in. Why, Americans are fed up, for as you grow rich, and get lifetime benefits, we are losing ours. Disgusting isn’t it? DAMN STRAIGHT!
A lot of changes will be made and too bad for the tiny number that supposedly represent us, but do not.
Are you kidding me? Dirty dems do not give a care about border crisis, nor any other crisises they are intentionally causing!!!!!!
I ???? pray that the Rhinos who opposed to mayorkas impeachment ROT IN HELL!!!!!
Fellow Conservatives:
It is said that a Chain is as strong as its weakest link. Do all you can, short of committing a crime, to get Donald Trump, re-elected this coming November. If the Country fails him, we too shall lose on a scale not yet seen since the 1930’s. Not hyperbole, no brag, just fact!
The only chance we have to save this country is “We the People” have to get out and vote red. This is not your daddy’s or granddads Democrat Party. The left wants to eliminate the Republican party they want a one party state which would be the end of our Constitutional republic.
To think that this piece of sheet of a man gets paid with our taxpayer money, makes me puke!! He should owe us!!