Some Republican senators are not supportive of impeaching DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas because he failed to secure the southern border.
Border patrol has seen more than 2.3 million illegal aliens crossing the border. In October alone, there were over 230,000 migrants encountered. Establishment Sens. Mitt Romney (R.-UT) and Susan Collins(R.-ME) seem reluctant to hold Mayorkas responsible for the invasion of the southern border.
Romney stated that someone must have committed a high-level crime or misdemeanor in order for it to be validly inquired. “I have not seen any accusation whatsoever of this nature.”
Mayorkas said, “There are many things I disagree with… but that doesn’t rise to impeachment.”
Collins, who is a pro-Donald Trump impediment vote voter and McConnell ally, dismissed the question of whether Mayorkas should go to prison.
Collins responded, “That’s not something that I’ve heard discussed here.”
WASHINGTON DC – NOVEMBER 16, 2016: Senator Susan Collins (Republican from Maine) walks through the US Capitol before entering the Senate to vote for the Respect for Marriage Act on a glide path towards victory. (Photo by Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images.
Senator John Thune (R.S.D.), the second-highest ranking GOP senator, stated that an investigation should be conducted into Mayorkas’ open border before moving to impeachment.
Thune stated, “I believe there is a legitimate requirement for oversight… but, I mean it needs to focus on certain areas.”
Collins and Romney are at odds with their Republican counterparts. Sens. Sens. In a letter addressed to Mayorkas in Oct, they accuse Mayorkas “of a gross dereliction in duty and a violation your oaths of office” and state that if Mayorkas fails to address the illegal migration, it is grounds for impeachment.
They wrote, “This is gross neglect of duty and, If not corrected quickly, could provide grounds to impeachment.”
Mayorkas would first be indicted by the House before being sent to the Senate. Even if the House votes to impeach, it is unlikely that Republicans will have enough votes to move forward with impeaching Mayorkas.
Some GOP House members support impeaching Mayorkas.
McCarthy stated in November that “If Secretary Mayorkas doesn’t resign, the House Republicans will examine every order, every act, and every failure and determine whether we are able to begin an impeachment investigation.”
Mayorkas says he has no plans to resign. Instead, Mayorkas defended his inability to secure the southern border. On Monday, Mayorkas stated that the open border was the result of a “broken” immigration system and his inability to enforce the law.
Mayorkas stated that the immigration system and laws have not been reformated in more than 40 years. Mayorkas stated that the problem with administration from one party to another is that they are working within a broken immigration program. This is the fundamental challenge in relation to the border.
