The Republican-led US House of Representatives voted by a majority of one to impeach Joe Biden’s homeland security secretary for failing to stem millions of migrants crossing the Mexico border.
Alejandro Mayorkas became the first Cabinet secretary to be impeached in nearly 150 years, setting the stage for a possible Senate trial - although the Republicans are not in control of the other chamber, likely dooming the attempt to evict him from office.
Mr Mayorkas was accused by House Republicans of “wilfully and systematically” refusing to enforce the law in his handling of the southern border.
But President Biden slammed the 214-213 vote against Mr Mayorkas as a “blatant act of unconstitutional partisanship”.
More than 6.3 million migrants have been detained crossing into the United States illegally since Mr Biden took office in 2021, driving up support for Donald Trump heading into November’s presidential election.
As president, Mr Trump was himself impeached twice in the House, but the attempts by Democrats to throw him out of the White House were thwarted in the Senate.
The Republican front-runner is vowing to launch “the largest domestic deportation operation in American history” if he wins a second term. “We have no choice,” Mr Trump told a weekend rally in South Carolina. Immigration remained high during his time in office.
House Republicans have been floating legislation to begin deporting migrants who were temporarily allowed into the country under Biden administration policies, even if they are awaiting their asylum claims to be processed.
But Republican control of the chamber meanwhile grew more tenuous after Democrat Tom Suozzi won a special election for a House seat in New York.
The victory augured well for Democratic hopes in suburban America heading into the presidential election - although the circumstances of the vote were bizarre.
Republican incumbent George Santos was expelled from Congress after he was exposed as a charlatan who lied his way into office by making up large portions of his life story.
