OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) laid out a case for impeaching Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas during a fiery hearing last week.
Greene has been stumping for Mayorkas’ impeachment for more than a year amid his inaction after record numbers of migrants have crossed illegally into the U.S., along with a major uptick in the smuggling of illicit and deadly drugs such as fentanyl.
Some 10 million people have crossed into the U.S. during President Joe Biden’s and Mayoraks’ terms. As for the DHS chief, MTG, as she is known, accused him last week of lying to Congress more than 20 times about the ongoing border crisis.
“Here’s some of Secretary Mayorkas’s effective results: approximately 10 million illegal border crossers from over 160 countries have invaded the United States since President Biden took office and Secretary Mayorkas has started his job,” Greene said, also charging Mayorkas with poorly leading the 260,000 DHS employees.
Approximately 73,000 immigrants arrested at the border since 2021 were identified as being “special interest aliens,” she said, noting the classification by DHS for persons whose travel habits make them suspicious and potential threats to national security.
Greene went on to say that the migrant surges cost local governments more than $115 billion last year, while the federal government’s expenditures of taxpayer funds to accommodate the surges topped $182 billion.
“That is an unbelievable expense for the American taxpayers,” said Greene.
“So what are the results of Secretary Mayorkas’s job performance? He’s violated the Secure Fence Act of 2006 by not maintaining operational control of our border. He’s violated the Immigration and Nationality Act. He has violated the INA by implementing catch-and-release policies when federal law specifically mandates the detention of inadmissible aliens. … He’s violated the guarantee clause set forth in Article Four Section Four of the Constitution, which requires the federal government to protect states against invasion.”
That said, MTG’s biggest complaint is how Mayorkas has defended his job performance.
“There have been over 20 occasions that Secretary Mayorkas has claimed that the border is either closed or secure starting even back in 2021 when he is on record stating the border is secure, the border is closed,” said Greene. “He stated to Fox News’s Peter Doocy, ‘The border is closed.’
“Then he stated again to congressman (August) Pfluger here on this committee. The congressman asked him. He said, ‘The border is secure. We are, we are executing our plan.’ As he stated to Congressman Pfluger, Secretary Maryokas said, ‘I have been very clear and unequivocal in that regard. Congressman, the border is no less secure than it was previously,’” Greene continued. “He also stated to Congressman Michael Guest on our committee when he was asked by Congressman Guest, ‘Do you maintain today in light of the statements made by [former Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz] the border is secure?’ Secretary Mayorkas replied, ‘Congressman, I stand by my prior assessment because indeed, I define it as maximizing the resources we have to deliver the most effective results.’”
She finished by asking the three GOP witnesses — all of whom are state attorneys general — if they believe Mayorkas’ actions warranted his removal from office.
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen replied, “Absolutely.”
“He has failed to perform and is culpably inefficient, yes,” said Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey added that Mayorkas was “acting in violation of the law and constitutional order.”
A late November survey revealed that a majority of respondents backed MTG’s bid to impeach Mayorkas.
“By a margin of 55%-33%, likely voters want the Homeland Security secretary out. The margin is even wider for those who feel he’s bad at his job of protecting the border and stopping illegal crossers, deadly drugs, and child traffickers, 64%-29%,” the Washington Examiner reported at the time, citing a Rasmussen Reports poll.
