US: Towards Impeachment of Immigration Secretary Joe Biden

A member of US President Joe Biden’s government has failed in parliament. Republican elected officials in the lower chamber of the House of Representatives filed charges against Immigration Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday. Therefore, he will face trial in the Senate.

What is he accused of?

GOP elected officials opposing Joe Biden’s Democratic Party blame Alejandro Mayorkas for sparking the crisis at the border between the United States and Mexico. “He is the chief architect of the disaster,” charged Mike Johnson, the House Republican leader who sealed the 64-year-old’s fate early in the evening.

Republicans with strong anti-immigration rhetoric, most of them close to former President Donald Trump, a candidate for another term, have criticized the Democratic president for allowing the country to be “invaded.” As evidence, they cite the record number of migrants detained at the border – 302 thousand in December.

Immigration has emerged as a key campaign issue in November’s presidential election, which is likely to pit Joe Biden against Donald Trump. Alejandro Mayorkas, for his part, rejected the Republicans’ accusations, accusing them of “wasting precious time and taxpayer money” on impeachment proceedings.

Can Alejandro Mayorkas be found guilty?

This is the first time in almost 150 years that Congress, the American parliament, has decided on such a sanction against a minister. But his removal remains unlikely because the Democratic Party has a majority in the Senate. The last indictment of a minister by Congress dates back to… 1876. Secretary of War William Belknap, accused of corruption, resigned pending impeachment proceedings.

Joe Biden responded to his minister’s accusation by condemning the “egregious political act against an honorable public servant.” “Instead of engaging in such charades, Republicans who actually care about the border should ask Congress to provide more resources and strengthen border security,” the 81-year-old head of state criticized. Democratic elected officials also reject the procedure, accusing Republicans of making the minister a scapegoat in the middle of an election year.

Humiliating voting and then voting by just one vote

Conservatives already tried to indict Alejandro Mayorkas in early February. But they missed by a narrow margin in a humiliating vote.

On February 2, the Republican general staff believed they had enough votes to win the vote, but were caught off guard by the surprise arrival in the House of Democratic elected official Al Green, who was recovering from abdominal surgery. . Arizona’s elected official arrived at the polls in a wheelchair, barefoot and in a hospital gown, ultimately tipping the scales in Democrats’ favor.

Three Republican lawmakers said Tuesday night ahead of the vote that they would vote against it, saying the sanctions were largely disproportionate. Republicans could not afford another defection given the razor-thin majority they hold in the House. “Impeachment”, the English name for this procedure, was ultimately passed by a vote of 214 to 213.

Last word in the Senate

The U.S. Constitution provides that Congress can impeach the president, a secretary, or federal judges for “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” The procedure takes place in two stages. First, the House of Representatives votes by a simple majority on the articles of indictment detailing the facts of which the minister is accused—“impeachment.” Thus, the vote took place on Tuesday evening.

Republicans, having achieved their bid this time, the Senate, the upper house of Congress, will put the minister on trial. At the end of the debate, 100 senators will vote on each article. Conviction requires a two-thirds majority, in which case dismissal is automatic and without appeal. Otherwise, Alejandro Mayorkas will be acquitted. With the Senate in Democratic hands, the secretary’s removal is unlikely.