Rep. Hageman — DHS Secretary Mayorkas Must Be Tried In The Senate

Wyoming’s only U.S. Representative is joining others to send a direct message to the Senate: the Department of Homeland Security Director, Alejandro Mayorkas, must be tried in the Senate.

Congresswoman Harriet Hageman, along with other impeachment managers in the House of Representatives, including Speaker Mike Johnson, sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer informing him that the House of Representatives will deliver articles of impeachment to the Senate on April 10^th.

The letter urges Leader Schumer to do his job and convene the Senate to hold a trial.

Representative Hageman states, “Secretary Mayorkas has violated his oath of office and is derelict in his obligation to keep us safe from enemies foreign and domestic. The House has filed two articles of impeachment against him in response to his willful and systemic refusal to comply with — and violation of — federal immigration laws, and breach of the public trust. Despite Democrat assertions to the contrary, this is a serious and warranted impeachment, with the underlying facts and basis being deserving of a hearing in the U.S. Senate, with exposure to the American public.”

The House voted to impeach Mayorkas on Feb. 13 by a vote of 214-213 over what Republicans claimed was his failure to enforce border laws amid a “crisis” of high illegal immigration. Secretary Mayorkas denied those allegations, claiming they were “baseless.” But Speaker Johnson waited to send over the articles until the government was fully funded.

The letter goes on to make the House’s case for a trial, stating, “The House did not impeach Secretary Mayorkas because of ‘differences in policy.’ He has violated the law and must be held accountable. The Senate has an obligation to hold a trial, to hear the evidence presented, and to seriously deliberate after the evidence is heard. This is not theater; it is a solemn duty that has been followed in all twenty-one prior impeachments. Now is not the time for the Senate to refuse to carry out their duty.”

Asked for a statement, DHS referred to a statement when Mayorkas was initially impeached, according to ABC News.

“Without a shred of evidence or legitimate Constitutional grounds, and despite bipartisan opposition, House Republicans have falsely smeared a dedicated public servant who has spent more than 20 years enforcing our laws and serving our country,” DHS spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg said. “Secretary Mayorkas and the Department of Homeland Security will continue working every day to keep Americans safe.”

Protocol dictates that once the articles are delivered, the Senate would be sworn in and seated as a jury. But Senator Schumer has not indicated what he will do with the impeachment articles. According to experts, it is widely expected that Democrats could move to scuttle the Mayorkas impeachment effort as quickly as possible.

Some options include either proceeding with a trial, moving to dismiss the articles of impeachment in a simple majority vote, or refer the matter to an impeachment committee.