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(The Guardian) Republican former homeland security chief opposes impeachment of Mayorkas
Michael Chertoff, who served as homeland security secretary during Republican George W Bush’s presidency from 2005 to 2009, wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal opposing the impeachment of the job’s current occupant Alejandro Mayorkas.
Republicans in Congress have for months accused Mayorkas of breaching his duty because so many migrants are entering the United States from Mexico, and the GOP-led House homeland security committee is expected to tomorrow vote to adopt the charges against him. But only one other cabinet secretary in US history has ever been impeached, and the Democratic-controlled Senate is unlikely to remove him from office.
“Political and policy disagreements aren’t impeachable offenses. The Constitution gives Congress the power to impeach federal officials for treason, bribery and “other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” That’s a high bar,” Chertoff writes.
He continues: As homeland security secretary under President George W. Bush—and as a former federal judge, U.S. attorney and assistant attorney general—I can say with confidence that, for all the investigating that the House Committee on Homeland Security has done, they have failed to put forth evidence that meets the bar. This is why Republicans aren’t seeking to hold Mr. Mayorkas to the Constitution’s “high crimes and misdemeanors” standard for impeachment. They make the unsupported argument that he is derelict in his duty.
Since Mr. Mayorkas took office, the majority of migrants encountered at the Southwest border have been removed, returned or expelled. In fact, since the pandemic-era Title 42 policy was ended last May, DHS removed, returned or expelled more noncitizens than in any five-month period in the past 10 years. The truth is that our national immigration system is outdated, and DHS leaders under both parties have done their best to manage our immigration system without adequate congressional support.
Michael Chertoff, who served as homeland security secretary during Republican George W Bush’s presidency from 2005 to 2009, wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal opposing the impeachment of the job’s current occupant Alejandro Mayorkas.
Republicans in Congress have for months accused Mayorkas of breaching his duty because so many migrants are entering the United States from Mexico, and the GOP-led House homeland security committee is expected to tomorrow vote to adopt the charges against him. But only one other cabinet secretary in US history has ever been impeached, and the Democratic-controlled Senate is unlikely to remove him from office.
“Political and policy disagreements aren’t impeachable offenses. The Constitution gives Congress the power to impeach federal officials for treason, bribery and “other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” That’s a high bar,” Chertoff writes.
He continues: As homeland security secretary under President George W. Bush—and as a former federal judge, U.S. attorney and assistant attorney general—I can say with confidence that, for all the investigating that the House Committee on Homeland Security has done, they have failed to put forth evidence that meets the bar. This is why Republicans aren’t seeking to hold Mr. Mayorkas to the Constitution’s “high crimes and misdemeanors” standard for impeachment. They make the unsupported argument that he is derelict in his duty.
Since Mr. Mayorkas took office, the majority of migrants encountered at the Southwest border have been removed, returned or expelled. In fact, since the pandemic-era Title 42 policy was ended last May, DHS removed, returned or expelled more noncitizens than in any five-month period in the past 10 years. The truth is that our national immigration system is outdated, and DHS leaders under both parties have done their best to manage our immigration system without adequate congressional support.
