House Republicans have introduced two articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. They accuse him of willfully and systematically refusing to comply with the law and breaching public trust by repeatedly claiming that the border is secure under his watch. The impeachment vote is expected to take place later this week.
Texas congressional candidate Myra Flores, speaking on the matter, expressed her support for the impeachment. She noted the alarming increase in illegal crossings at the southern border, with over 300,000 instances reported in the previous month alone. Flores emphasized that her husband, a border patrol agent with 14 years of experience, has never witnessed such levels of illegal migration before. She believes it is high time for impeachment proceedings against Mayorkas.
The DHS responded to the impeachment articles, dismissing them as a distraction from other crucial national security priorities and the need to address long-standing issues with immigration laws. However, there remains a possibility that Democrats could vote in favor of the impeachment, given that the illegal immigration crisis is now impacting previously Democrat-controlled cities and states.
Meanwhile, a bipartisan border deal negotiated in the Senate has been proposed. The deal outlines stringent measures, including the potential closure of the border if daily average border crossings surpass 4,000 over a one-week period or if crossings exceed 5,000 per day. In such cases, all activities at the border would halt for a two-week period until encounters are reduced by 75%.
Flores attributed the border crisis to the policies of the Biden administration. She argued that President Biden should reinstate effective measures such as the 'Remain in Mexico' policy and 'catch and release' to aid border patrol agents in their enforcement efforts. Flores believes that Congress is unfairly bearing the blame for the crisis when, in reality, it is the administration's policies that have exacerbated the situation in South Texas.
Recently, a group called 'Take Our Border Back' planned a convoy from Virginia Beach to the southern border, with rallies scheduled in Eagle Pass, Yuma, and San Ysidro. The convoy, a public call for border security, aims to draw attention to the pressing issue. However, Flores expressed concern about potential instigation by far-left factions during the protests and advocated for change through voting in the upcoming election.
The escalating number of migrant encounters, reaching a record high of over 300,000 in December, underscores the urgency of the situation. While President Biden has voiced his intent to address border security, the planned convoy suggests that not all Americans have faith in his actions.
As the situation at the southern border continues to unfold, it remains to be seen whether the impeachment proceedings against Mayorkas will gain traction and whether the proposed bipartisan border deal will alleviate the crisis.
