GOP Accuses Mayorkas of Failing to Secure Border, Perjury, and Slandering Border Patrol Agents

Republican Congressman Pat Fallon of Texas has filed articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, accusing him of failing to secure the border, perjury, and slandering Border Patrol agents.

The resolution, filed late Monday, is the first formal effort to remove anyone in the Biden administration since the GOP took control of the House last week. It is not clear how much traction the move will get, as it needs the support of two-thirds of the Senate to convict and remove Mayorkas from office. Republicans control only 49 seats in the Senate.

Fallon’s resolution accuses Mayorkas of failing to maintain “operational control” of the border as required by law, as evidenced by the fact that 5.5 million people have crossed illegally during his tenure. The article also cites the department’s refusal to detain every migrant it catches, though to varying degrees, presidents in both parties have always maintained that the government has discretion in which migrants are released pending a hearing – especially since Congress has never provided enough resources to detain 100% of those nabbed.

Article II accuses Mayorkas of perjury for testifying to Congress that the border was, in his view, under operational control.

Article III asserts that he “knowingly slandered” Border Patrol agents in the “whipgate” incident, in which Border Patrol agents on horseback appeared to be lashing Haitian migrants.

Mayorkas has denied the allegations against him, saying that he is focused on “doing the work that we need to get done.”