U.S. House Republicans are preparing to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The U.S. House Homeland Security Committee...

 

U.S. House Republicans are preparing to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

The U.S. House Homeland Security Committee is preparing for the rare event of impeaching a Cabinet member, which has only happened once before in U.S. history.

On Tuesday, the Republican-led committee will draft articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Democrats argue that the move stems from differences in immigration policy between the two parties.

House Republicans released the text of two articles of impeachment, alleging "high crimes and misdemeanors" by Mayorkas. These articles will be marked up and voted on as a substitute amendment to H. Res. 863, first introduced by Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene last year.

The first article accuses Mayorkas of willfully and systematically refusing to comply with immigration and border security laws. The second article cites a breach of public trust, highlighting discrepancies between Mayorkas's statements regarding border security and Republicans' perspectives on the matter.

The only Cabinet member in U.S. history to be impeached was William W. Belknap in 1876, on charges of corruption. Belknap, a former Iowa state legislator, faced five articles of impeachment for "criminally disregarding his duty as Secretary of War and basely prostituting his high office to his lust for private gain." Although the House voted articles of impeachment against him, he was ultimately acquitted by the Senate.

The decision to impeach Mayorkas comes amidst ongoing focus on immigration in Congress, particularly with the Senate working on a bipartisan immigration deal aimed at addressing issues at the U.S.-Mexico border. However, House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana has not indicated whether he would bring the Senate's legislation to the floor for consideration if it passes.

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Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump, who is currently the GOP front-runner, has urged congressional Republicans to reject the bipartisan deal. However, negotiators have thus far resisted this demand.

The House committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday morning to review and markup the drafted articles of impeachment. If approved by the committee, House Speaker Mike Johnson has pledged a prompt impeachment vote on the House floor.

Should the Republican-controlled House vote to impeach Mayorkas, the decision to convict him would rest with the Democratic-led Senate. However, the likelihood of Senate conviction is low.