Senate begins impeachment trial of Secretary Mayorkas, but Democrats seek to dismiss it quickly

The Senate began the process of political trial Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for his handling of the situation on the border with Mexico, swearing in senators as jurors while Democrats want to end the case before arguments even begin.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he will seek to dismiss the trial, arguing that the two articles of impeachment presented by the Republican representatives “do not meet the standards for high crimes and misdemeanors” and this could set a dangerous precedent.

“For the sake of the integrity of the Senate and to protect impeachment for the rare cases when we really need it, senators should dismiss today's indictments,” Schumer, D-N.Y., said as he opened the Senate session.

In February, the House of Representatives voted by a narrow majority to impeach Mayorkas for his handling of the situation on the border with Mexico, arguing in the two articles that the official “intentionally and systematically” refused to implement immigration laws. . House officials presented the charges to the Senate on Tuesday, standing on the Senate floor and reading them aloud to a captive audience of senators.

Now that senators have been sworn in, the upper chamber has become an impeachment court, chaired by Democratic Senator Patty Murray. Murray is the Senate president pro tempore, or the oldest member of the majority party replacing the vice president. Senators approached the front of the Senate in groups of four to sign an oath book kept in the National Archives.

A complete dismissal of the impeachment, without a chance to argue the case, would be an embarrassing defeat for Republicans and for the embattled House Speaker, Republican Mike Johnson, who has made impeachment a priority. And it is likely to have political resonance for both Republicans and Democrats in a presidential election year in which border security has been a major issue.

Republicans argue that President Joe Biden has been weak on the border, as apprehensions for illegal crossings soared to more than 2 million people during the last two years of his term, although they have declined from a record 250,000 in December. , due to the intensification of law enforcement in Mexico. Democrats say that instead of impeaching Mayorkas, Republicans should have accepted a bipartisan Senate compromise aimed at reducing the number of immigrants entering the United States illegally.

As he signed the articles of impeachment on Monday before sending them through the Capitol, Johnson said Schumer must call a trial “to hold those who orchestrated this crisis accountable.”

Schumer “is the only impediment to the American people seeing that there is accountability,” Johnson said. “In accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, the House of Representatives demands a trial.”

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