House Republicans on Tuesday voted to impeach the Biden administration's top immigration official, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mallorcas, who they accuse of being responsible for the record influx of migrants at the US-Mexico border last year.
The House of Representatives voted 214 to 213 to approve two counts of impeachment against Majorcas for allegedly failing to enforce US immigration laws. Along with all the Democrats, three Republicans voted against the impeachment. It is unlikely that the Senate will vote to remove Mallorcas, given that the majority is held by Democrats.
The President of the United States of America (USA), Joseph Biden, assessed that the impeachment of Mallorcas is an "obvious" example of party politics that violates the Constitution.
"History will not be kind to the Republicans in the House of Representatives for their blatant act of unconstitutional partisan bigotry attacking an honorable public servant for the sake of worthless political games," Biden said in a statement.
Conservative Republicans have been criticizing Majorkas for months, but failed to impeach him during last week's vote. Republicans have a narrow majority in the lower house of Congress.
Majorcas is only the second cabinet member in American history to be impeached, following Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876.
The impeachment, which is the political equivalent of an impeachment, could be a symbolic victory for Republicans who are trying to blame President Biden and Democratic members of Congress for the chaos at America's southern border ahead of the November election. A record number of 10.000 migrants per day were arrested at the border in December.
The Senate - in which the Democrats have a majority - is expected to clear Majorkas of the charges. Conviction and removal require the support of two-thirds of senators, that is, 18 Democrats along with all Republicans.
After the impeachment of Mallorcas, a trial should be held in the Senate. Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the charges will be brought before the Senate when it returns from recess on February 26.
US officials are constitutionally impeachable if they commit "serious crimes and misdemeanors," but Majorkas said the charges against him were baseless and continued to serve as Homeland Security secretary.
Republicans accuse him of violating immigration laws by not detaining migrants at the border and by running a humanitarian program that allows people who don't qualify to enter the country. They also claim he lied to Congress when he claimed the border was secure.
Congressman Ken Buck, one of three Republicans who voted against Mallorcas' impeachment last Sunday, said recently that the measure against the Homeland Security secretary was a political ploy, while his colleague Mike Gallagher said it would lower the standard for sentencing and open a "Pandora's window." permanent recall box".
Democrats and some legal experts argue that the debate over Mallorca's impeachment is essentially a political dispute, not a question of constitutional standards of whether he committed "serious crimes and misdemeanors."
Republicans are attacking Biden and Mallorcas for easing border restrictions after the incumbent defeated his Republican predecessor Donald Trump in the 2020 election and changed immigration rules.
Republicans, who are seeking to impeach Majorcas, also rejected a bipartisan Senate proposal that would have imposed the strictest border controls in years after Trump said the plan was not tough enough.
The issue of immigration is expected to be one of the leading issues in the November election, where Biden and Trump are the likely candidates.
Trump was twice impeached in the House of Representatives, but was acquitted in both cases in the Senate.
Bonus video:
