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Chairman Green on the Impeachment of DHS Secretary Mayorkas: Congress Has Taken Decisive Action to “Defend Our Constitutional Order”

February 13, 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This evening, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green, MD (R-TN) released the following statement after the House of Representatives voted to impeach Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for high crimes and misdemeanors, specifically his willful and systemic refusal to comply with the laws of the United States, and his breach of the public trust. The House voted Tuesday after Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) returned to Washington following completion of treatment for cancer: 
 
“With today’s vote, Congress has taken decisive action to defend our constitutional order and hold accountable a public official who has violated his oath of office. 
 
“The House Committee on Homeland Security’s investigation and subsequent impeachment proceedings demonstrated beyond any doubt that Secretary Mayorkas has willfully and systemically refused to comply with the laws of the United States, and breached the public trust. As a result, our country has suffered from an unprecedented border crisis that has turned every state into a border state, causing untold suffering in communities across our country. With this vote, Congress has made clear that we will not tolerate such lawlessness.
 
“We have put forward legislative solutions to the border crisis in H.R. 2, the ‘Secure the Border Act.’ We have now conducted oversight and held Secretary Mayorkas accountable. We will continue to fight on behalf of the American people to end this crisis. I urge the Senate to do the right thing and remove Secretary Mayorkas from office following a thorough trial.”
 
Click here to read the articles of impeachment and other resources related to the investigation into Secretary Mayorkas and these historic impeachment proceedings.

BACKGROUND: The House Committee on Homeland Security advanced articles of impeachment on Jan. 31, 2024, following a nearly year-long investigation into the causes, costs, and consequences of the unprecedented crisis at America’s borders. Throughout the process, Secretary Mayorkas refused to cooperate with requests to appear before the Committee to provide testimony in defense of his refusal to comply with U.S. immigration laws and his breach of the public trust.

Following markup of these articles by the Committee, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson declared, “I commend the House Homeland Security Committee for conducting a thorough and exhaustive investigation into Secretary Mayorkas’ failed leadership of the department and his role in the ongoing border crisis.” Johnson previously stated on CBS’ “Face the Nation” in January 2024, “Our Homeland Security Committee has done its job. They have a constitutional responsibility, a legal responsibility, to investigate what is happening with the agency that they have oversight for. They’ve done that for a year, very methodically, carefully, in detail. And they’ve documented all that.” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise noted similarly, “The Homeland Security Committee has laid out tremendous evidence for impeachment. They’ve been building a strong case for months now. And the case is overwhelming.” And House Majority Whip Tom Emmer said, “Personally, I believe it’s appropriate. It’s been a year-long process, very thoughtful and detailed. You’ve got the head of Homeland Security who is charged legally with securing our southern border, and he’s not only failed to do that, he’s willfully disobeyed existing law…”

Throughout the five-phase investigation that culminated in these impeachment proceedings, the Committee published detailed reports of its findings, totaling nearly 400 pages, which are linked below:

These reports conclusively established that Secretary Mayorkas is chiefly responsible for the chaos and devastation that has unfolded at America’s borders over the past three years. His willful and systemic refusal to comply with the laws passed by Congress has incentivized unprecedented mass illegal immigration. He has breached the public trust by misleading Congress and the American people on numerous occasions about the consequences of his decisions and the operational realities on the border. As a result, the criminal cartels have been empowered, Americans and migrants alike are suffering in record numbers, and cities and states across the country are assuming massive financial costs. 

As part of the investigative process, the Committee conducted 10 full and subcommittee hearings, gathering testimony from more than two dozen witnesses. The Committee, along with the House Oversight Committee, also conducted transcribed interviews of chief and deputy chief patrol agents responsible for the Border Patrol’s nine Southwest border sectors as part of this investigation. These senior agents gave compelling testimony about the many consequences of Secretary Mayorkas’ open borders:

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