House sends Mayorkas impeachment articles to the Senate

House Republicans have sent to the Senate two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a step that launches a trial in the Senate as GOP lawmakers seek to highlight President Joe Biden’s handling of immigration policy.

House Republicans have sent to the Senate two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a step that launches a trial in the Senate as GOP lawmakers seek to highlight President Joe Biden’s handling of immigration policy. The Democratic-controlled Senate, however, is expected to quickly dismiss the charges without a trial or conduct a speedy trial that ends without a conviction. Mayorkas, who took the helm at the start of the Biden administration, is the first Cabinet secretary to be impeached in nearly 150 years. House Republicans voted to impeach Mayorkas in February over his handling of the southern border by a narrow margin after failing to do so on their first try. Republicans targeted Mayorkas as soon as they took control of the House last year, blaming the high number of border crossings on the Homeland Security secretary as the party faced pressure from its base to hold the Biden administration accountable on a key campaign issue. Multiple constitutional experts, however, have said the evidence Republicans have put forward does not reach the high bar set by the US Constitution of high crimes and misdemeanors. Democrats have argued that the impeachment proceedings have been politically motivated and meritless. The issue now moves to the Senate where Democratic senators — joined by some Republicans — have said they expect the chamber will move to dismiss the case before a full trial.