U.S. Senate Thrashes Impeachment Charges Against Mayorkas

The US Senate voted to dismiss all impeachment charges against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, ending a House GOP effort to remove him from office over border handling concerns, Mary Clare Jalonick and Farnoush Amiri reported for the Associated Press (AP).

The first charge accused Mayorkas of willful non-compliance with immigration law, while the second alleged a breach of trust regarding border security assurances. I Photo: U.S. Department of Homeland Security Flickr

Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority leader, led the motion to dismiss, asserting that cabinet members cannot be ousted for implementing administration policies. Democrats argued the charges were unconstitutional.

The first charge accused Mayorkas of willful non-compliance with immigration law, while the second alleged a breach of trust regarding border security assurances. The votes, 51-48 and 51-49 along party lines, terminated the trial.

Schumer emphasized the failure to meet the threshold of "high crimes and misdemeanors" and warned against setting a dangerous precedent, urging senators to protect impeachment's integrity for genuine cases.