Three Republican attorneys general demanded Wednesday that the House impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, calling him the “architect” of the “devastation” caused by the massive migration crisis along the southern border.
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, Oklahoma AG Gentner Drummond and Missouri Andrew Bailey told members of the House Homeland Security Committee that Mayorkas had failed to enforce the nation’s immigration laws and misled Congress by insisting the White House had “operational control” of the US border.
Each witness said that as a result, their states have been forced to bear the cost of millions of illegal immigrants entering their jurisdiction thanks to so-called “false” asylum claims.
The Attorney General also complained about the increase in human and drug trafficking rates.
“We do not deserve our society to be flooded with illegal drugs that are smuggled across unsafe borders. And we don’t deserve to have our loved ones taken away by the same drug,” Drummond said.
Three Republican attorneys general testified in a committee hearing Wednesday that the House should impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. REUTERS “Secretary Mayorkas is the architect of the destruction that the American people are watching. They knew that our borders were secure just a few years ago,” said Montana AG Austin Knudsen. Go Nakamura for the NY Post
“There’s only one reason 8 million people illegally cross the border of a sovereign country,” Bailey added, “because they know they can get away with it.”
“Secretary Mayorkas is the architect of the destruction that the American people are watching. They knew that our border was secure years ago,” Knudsen told the panel.
“The most devastating effect of open borders in Montana is the large quantities of Mexican cartel fentanyl and methamphetamine,” the Montanan added.
“The conclusion is clear. Secretary Mayorkas has broken his oath. I urge this body to prosecute.”
Knudsen, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond and Missouri Andrew Bailey spoke to members of the Homeland Security Committee. C-SPAN
A Department of Homeland Security memo that was circulated before the hearing called out House Republicans for their “year-long, politically motivated attack 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 and find real solutions to address this challenge,” the memo reads.
“Instead of working in a bipartisan way to fix our broken immigration laws, the House majority is wasting time on a baseless and pointless political attack by trying to impeach Secretary Mayorkas.”
The memo also cites former GOP officials and current Republican members of Congress who have expressed their opposition to impeaching Mayorkas, as well as statements by GOP lawmakers who said the removal was a “guaranteed” decision before proceedings began.
Republican panelists agreed that considering removing Mayorkas from office was a matter of “service” for the House but their year-long investigation has uncovered devastating costs. James Keivom
Republican panelists agreed that considering removing Mayorkas from office was a matter of “service” for the House but noted that their year-long investigation not only revealed a growing crime issue but devastating costs to the state and city.
“New York City alone projects that it will need to spend $12 billion to address the flow of illegal immigrants into the city by 2025,” said Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) during his opening remarks.
“I wish we weren’t sitting here today. I hope this procedure is not necessary. May our southwest border be safe. I hope our government enforces the laws passed by Congress and does its job to keep Americans safe,” he added. “And unfortunately, Secretary Mayorkas did not do this.
“For nearly a year, the House Committee on Homeland Security has conducted a comprehensive investigation into the causes, costs and consequences of this unprecedented crisis on our Southwest border,” Green continued. “Our evidence explains it. Secretary Mayorkas is the architect of the destruction we have witnessed for almost three years.”
“New York City alone projects that it will need to spend $12 billion to address the flow of illegal immigrants into the city by 2025,” said Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) 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, admitted to accepting kickbacks from military suppliers in March 1876. Belknap resigned shortly before the impeachment vote and was acquitted by the Senate.
Right-wing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) introduced an impeachment resolution against Mayorkas last November that was blocked from a full vote on the House floor by Democrats and eight GOP lawmakers, sending the matter to the Homeland Security Committee.
The Georgia congressman referred to the millions of immigrants crossing the US border as a “continuing invasion,” calling it a “direct national security threat” and suggesting Mayorkas had committed “high crimes and misdemeanors.”
At least 3.8 million people have entered the US since President Biden took office in January 2021, with 1.5 million “tourists” avoiding detection by authorities. James Keivom
At least 3.8 million people have entered the US since President Biden took office in January 2021, with 1.5 million “refugees” evading detection by authorities, according to Syracuse University’s TRAC immigration database.
Republican committee members and witnesses — including Greene — cited the even higher figure of 8 million encounters with immigrants nationwide by Border Patrol agents, according to CBP data.
Under former President Donald Trump, CBP recorded about 3 million encounters nationwide between fiscal years 2017 and 2020.
Greene’s resolution also alleges that Mayorkas violated the right of US citizens to protection from intrusion, as stated in the Guarantees Clause of Article IV of the Constitution, and completely disregarded the Secure Fence Act of 2006.
Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) also pointed out the chairman had promised campaign donors that he would impeach Mayorkas after House Republicans won their majority. C-SPAN
But Democratic lawmakers referred to statements from their colleagues that preceded the resolution and called for Mayorkas’ removal, and their witness, University of Missouri Law School professor Frank Bowman, testified that Mayorkas’ conduct did not rise to the level of impeachment.
Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) also pointed out that Green has promised campaign donors that he will go after Mayorkas if Republicans win the House majority in the 2022 elections.
In April 2023, Green told attendees at a House Freedom Caucus fundraiser in Tennessee that his committee was planning to deliver charges describing Mayorkas’ “neglect of duty” to the House Judiciary Committee, the New York Times reported.
“We’re going to prosecute him,” Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) also spoke during the hearing.
“I have long argued that the House must prosecute Mayorkas, and today, the case has never been stronger,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), another member of the panel, said in a “Dear Colleague” letter on Wednesday.
“The series of committee hearings since my last update on the Mayorkas firing case have shown that he clearly lied under oath about DHS maintaining ‘operational control’ of the southern border,” Roy wrote. “It goes without saying that lying under oath is a reprehensible offense.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
