The following statement was issued by Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) in response to the Senate vote effectively dismissing the articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas:
WASHINGTON, April 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — “Today, the U.S. Senate took the unprecedented step of effectively dismissing the articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that were passed by the House of Representatives. Never in the history of our republic has the Senate refused to carry out its constitutional obligation to adjudicate lawfully approved articles of impeachment against a government official.
“Majority Leader Chuck Schumer offered the flimsy excuse that the impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas was politically motivated, and invoked points of order to rule that the articles of impeachment, duly approved by the House, were unconstitutional. In fact, it is the Senate’s summary effective dismissal of the articles of impeachment that was politically motivated.
“The articles of impeachment were based on a mountain of evidence, revealed through an extensive, months-long investigation, regarding Mayorkas’ dereliction of duty as DHS secretary. The articles lay out specific provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) that Mayorkas has violated, and detail the numerous times the secretary has knowingly lied to Congress and the American people to hide the results of his disastrous policies. These charges were clearly sufficient to warrant a Senate trial to determine if Secretary Mayorkas should be removed from office.
“The effort by Senate Democrats to scuttle Mayorkas’ trial was widely expected. They knew that, regardless of the final vote tally, the evidence presented in a Senate trial would have led to a conviction in the court of public opinion, which is exactly the reason Majority Leader Schumer took the extraordinary step of effectively dismissing the articles of impeachment.
“Senator Schumer’s actions may have prevented a public hearing of the evidence that led to Mayorkas’ impeachment in the House, but he cannot hide the impact that the unprecedented flood of illegal immigration is having on their lives and communities, and the dangers it poses to the security of the country.”
Contact: Joey Chester, [email protected], 202-740-7355
SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)