Mayorkas during a House of Representatives hearing on homeland security (French)
The US House of Representatives, which is dominated by Republicans, voted in favor of starting procedures to remove Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas from his position against the backdrop of the refugee influx crisis on the border with Mexico, in a move that Democrats denounced and considered unconstitutional.
The vote that took place yesterday evening, Tuesday, in favor of holding a parliamentary trial for Mayorkas, succeeded by a margin of one vote, 214 to 213, after the Republicans’ first attempt failed a few days ago.
The House of Representatives charged the Democratic Minister with two charges: “deliberate and systematic refusal” to implement the immigration law, and “violating public confidence,” and the representatives referred him to trial before the Senate.
This is the first time in about 150 years that American lawmakers have taken such a decision against a minister, but his removal remains unlikely given the majority that Democrats enjoy in the Senate.
The US Secretary of Homeland Security has repeatedly rejected Republican accusations against him, considering that the attempt to dismiss him constitutes a waste of time and taxpayer money.
It is noteworthy that Mayorkas is an immigrant who came to the United States with his family, Cuban political refugees, and worked in several jobs before President Joe Biden named him the first Secretary of Homeland Security of immigrant origins.
Republicans accuse Biden of allowing an “invasion” of the country, after a record number of migrants were arrested at the border, amounting to 302,000 last December.
Migrants trying to cross into the United States from Mexico (Anadolu Agency)
Democrats denounce
In his first comment on the vote, the US President described the House of Representatives' decision as just a cheap political game.
Biden also considered this move “a partisan act targeting a faithful servant of the state,” and described the attempt to isolate Mayorkas as unconstitutional.
He said that instead of voting to dismiss the Minister of Homeland Security, Republicans should have asked Congress for more resources and strengthening border security to confront the influx of migrants.
In the previous attempt, which took place a few days ago, the Republicans failed to collect sufficient votes to vote on starting the isolation procedures for the Minister of Homeland Security, as Al Green, the Democratic representative from Arizona, came to the voting hall in a wheelchair, barefoot and in a hospital gown, which tipped the balance in favor of the Democrats.
Mayorkas could be removed from office if two-thirds of the 100 senators vote yes at the end of the trial.
Former President Donald Trump vowed to deport mass immigrants if he is elected president of the United States next November.
It is noteworthy that the last conviction of a minister by Congress dates back to the year 1876, when Secretary of War William Belknap, accused of corruption, resigned from his position before the end of the impeachment process.
The Constitution stipulates that Congress can remove a federal minister or judges on charges of treason, corruption, and other major crimes, and these procedures take place in two stages.
In mid-December, the US House of Representatives agreed to open an official investigation to impeach President Joe Biden against the backdrop of the “controversial” foreign business activities of his son Hunter, and Biden considered opening the investigation a “baseless political ploy.”
Source: Al Jazeera + agencies