Chairman Green Joins Speaker Johnson, Impeachment Managers in Calling for Senate Trial of Secretary Mayorkas
March 28, 2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) joined Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) and all House impeachment managers on a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), calling on the Senate to expeditiously schedule an impeachment trial of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. In the letter, the Members also announced that the House of Representatives will transmit the two articles of impeachment to the Senate on April 10th, 2024.
In addition to Chairman Green, impeachment managers and co-signers of the letter are House Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), House Committee on Homeland Security Vice Chairman Michael Guest (R-MS), Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement Chairman Clay Higgins (R-LA), Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence Chairman August Pfluger (R-TX), Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Chairman Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL), Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA), and Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY).
In the letter, the Members wrote,“The evidence on both charges is clear, comprehensive, and compelling, and the House’s solemn act to impeach the first sitting Cabinet official in American history demands timely action by the Senate.
“This methodical approach led us—and the American people—to the conclusion that Secretary Mayorkas’ actions warranted impeachment. He refused to comply with the requirements of the immigration laws passed by Congress. In fact, he directed, through a series of memoranda, DHS employees to violate U.S. immigration laws. Consequently, the Secretary is responsible for releasing millions of illegal aliens into the interior and creating unlawful mass- parole programs. Throughout his tenure, he has repeatedly lied to Congress and the American people about the scope of the crisis and his role in it. His unlawful actions are responsible for the historic crisis that has devastated communities throughout our country, from the smallest border town in Texas to New York City.
“The constitutional grounds for Secretary Mayorkas’ conviction and removal from office are well-founded, and the historical record is clear. The Framers of our Constitution gave Congress this authority for scenarios where executive branch officials, who are responsible for executing the laws passed by Congress, flout the law substituting their own judgment for that of Congress.
“We call upon you to fulfill your constitutional obligation to hold this trial. The American people demand a secure border, an end to this crisis, and accountability for those responsible. To table articles of impeachment without ever hearing a single argument or reviewing a piece of evidence would be a violation of our constitutional order and an affront to the American people whom we all serve.”
Read the full text of the letter here.
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. On February 13, 2024, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Secretary 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.
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:
- Phase 1 Interim Report: DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ Dereliction of Duty
- Phase 2 Interim Report: DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Has Emboldened Cartels, Criminals, and America’s Enemies
- Phase 3 Interim Report: The Devastating Human Costs of the DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ Open-Borders Policies
- Phase 4 Interim Report: The Historic Dollar Costs of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ Open-Borders Policies
- Phase 5 Interim Report: The Massive Waste and Abuse Enabled by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
- Transcribed Interview Appendix: First-Hand Accounts of the Crisis From Border Patrol Sector Chiefs
As part of the investigative process, the Committee conducted 10 full and subcommittee hearings, gathering public testimony from more than two dozen witnesses. The Committee, along with the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, 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:
- Never before have agents seen such historic numbers of illegal crossings
- The lack of consequences enforced by DHS for illegal entry
- Mass releases functioning as a pull factor for millions of illegal aliens
- Illegal aliens are now turning themselves in to Border Patrol, knowing they will be released into the interior
- The expansive degree of cartel control at the Southwest border
- Agents are being taken out of the field in order to help process and release illegal aliens
- Illegal aliens are spreading the word of our open border back home, encouraging more crossings
- The operational impacts of open borders, including closed checkpoints and national security/public safety risks
- Border Patrol sector chiefs contradict Secretary Mayorkas, say they do not have operational control in their sectors
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