Will House Republicans impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas? There's certainly movement in that direction — but also obstacles. The Hill reported that the GOP has "inched closer" to action, officially launching an investigation into Mayorkas over criticisms that the Biden administration has thrown open the nation's southern border to uncontrolled immigration.
"His policies have resulted in a humanitarian crisis this country has never seen," said Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee. But it's not clear that enough Republicans are on board for impeachment, CNN reported. "We don't have the votes," said Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.). One of the opponents is Rep. Tom McClintock, a California Republican. "Show me treason, bribery or other high crimes or misdemeanors. And I'm all ears," he said. "But at the moment I have not heard it or seen it."
Some GOP centrists aren't sold on the idea that impeaching Mayorkas "is a winning political message," Politico reported. "It's going to be a lot of effort and does that not take us off other priorities?" asked Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.). And critics say Republicans don't have any evidence of a "high crime or misdemeanor," the constitutional standard for impeaching public officials.
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What are the commentators saying?
Republicans want to impeach Mayorkas "because of policy differences, which aren't impeachable offenses," Greg Sargent wrote at The Washington Post. Without that evidence the effort will backfire politically, GOP pollster Whit Ayres told Sargent, creating an "image of the Republican Party that is very much at odds with the kind of party that can win elections in swing states." But recent right-wing anger over the recent debt ceiling deal may force GOP leaders to offer impeachment as a "consolation prize." If Republicans really want better policy, they can reform immigration law.
Any GOP hesitation to impeach Mayorkas is misguided, Jason Richwine wrote at National Review. "The porous southern border is a catastrophe for the rule of law." Mayorkas has "flouted" federal laws by "welcoming millions of migrants without visas." While the secretary isn't accused of "bribery, or theft, or some other unquestionably illegal behavior," Congress should also have the right of impeachment if officials refuse "to execute the laws it has written." Any impeachment effort would falter in the Senate, but that doesn't matter: The process "would force a detailed discussion of the administration's failures at the border."
The impeachment drive is "a gift to Democrats," Timothy Noah wrote at the New Republic. A "show trial" would treat the nation to "the spectacle of Republicans trying to come up with a plausible-sounding justification to remove Mayorkas from power." That would put "GOP derangement" on full display. Instead of spurring Americans to anger over immigration, the effort would probably endanger the standing of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy by demonstrating "how thoroughly captive the GOP remains to its nutbar flank."
What's next?
The investigation. Bloomberg reported that the Homeland Security Committee will conduct a five-phase inquiry into Mayorkas. After that, investigators will turn the findings over to the House Judiciary Committee, which has authority over impeachment efforts. But the effort "threatens to deepen divisions" in the House GOP that were on display during McCarthy's extended fight to become House Speaker, and more recently when conservatives shut down Congressional votes in their anger over the final debt ceiling deal.
The impeachment effort comes at an odd moment in the immigration debate: Despite concerns that the end of Title 42 immigration restrictions in May would result in a flood of new migrants, border crossings have actually dropped, CBS News reported. Politico reported that Homeland Security officials said that's the result of a new approach that bans migrants from applying for asylum "if they cross the border illegally or fail to first apply for safe harbor while crossing through another country" while headed to the U.S. And deportations remain a tool: In the latter half of May, the U.S. sent nearly 40,000 migrants back to 80 countries.
Green, who is leading the inquiry, said he has never used the word "impeachment," USA Today reported. But he said President Biden should pay close attention to the investigation. "He can't possibly know of all of these failures of Mayorkas," Green said, "and have not fired him already."
