LISTEN HERE:
During a recent intensive session, Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican representative from Georgia, presented a powerful argument for the impeachment of Alejandro Mayorkas, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
Having her concerns rooted in the considerable increase in the influx of individuals at the U.S. border that has occurred during the current presidential tenure of Joe Biden and his administration, including Secretary Mayorkas, she firmly contends that there has been a marked escalation, calculated to be in the region of 10 million people.
Greene’s critique also involves charges of dishonesty directed towards Secretary Mayorkas. In her recent discussion, Representative Greene pointed out that on more than twenty instances, she believed the Secretary had given false testimony to Congress regarding the rising issues at the border. This scenario adds fuel to the growing concerns over the border situation.
According to Greene, an alarming statistic to be noted is that since the commencement of 2021, out of the immigrants apprehended at the U.S. border, approximately 73,000 were flagged as ‘special interest aliens’. This DHS designation refers to individuals whose unconventional travel patterns arouse suspicion and denote them as potential national security risks.
Greene did not shy away from presenting the shocking financial toll the migrant influxes have imposed on the local and federal governments. She claimed that in the last financial year alone, the total expenditure exceeded $115 billion for local governments and an even steeper $182 billion for the federal body. Undoubtedly, these figures project an outrageous burden on the American taxpayers, a thought expressed forcefully by Ms. Greene.
Concerning the performance of Secretary Mayorkas, Greene voiced serious disappointment. According to her, not only has operational control over our border been lacking, contradicting the mandates of the Secure Fence Act of 2006, but there are also discernible violations of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Notably, she accuses Mayorkas of implementing ‘catch-and-release’ policies, flouting a federal law which unequivocally calls for the detention of aliens deemed inadmissible.
Among the representative’s allegations, it was also suggested that the consistent disregard for the border situation by Secretary Mayorkas constitutes a violation of the Constitution. More specifically, Greene referred to the guarantee clause present in Article Four Section Four, which mandates that the federal government bear the responsibility of protecting the states from undesired invasion.
Greene’s gravest contention lies in the way in which Secretary Mayorkas has defended his performance of his duties. With plenty of records citing how he has continually declared the border as being ‘closed’ or ‘secure’, as far back as 2021, Greene questions these descriptions of control and security, given the evidence to the contrary.
She brought up an instance where he reiterated the assertion of the border’s security to Congressman August Pfluger of this committee. Mayorkas told him that not only was the border secure, but the authorities were effectively implementing the plans laid out for the same.
Greene indeed, in her strong disapproval of the Secretary’s performance, exposes contradictions in Mayorkas’s own assertions stating that the border’s security levels have not deteriorated. She firmly refutes these claims and presents him as being inconsistent in his messaging on the border’s state since taking office.
The Representative ultimately sought the opinions of the three Republican witnesses — distinguished state attorneys general — about whether they believed the actions of Secretary Mayorkas merited his removal from position. Austin Knudsen, the Attorney General of Montana, responded affirmatively, expressing clear agreement with Greene’s viewpoint.
Gentner Drummond, the Attorney General from Oklahoma, declared Mayorkas to be not only ineffective but also culpably inefficient, thus, supporting Greene’s assessment of Mayorkas’s failure to deliver on his responsibilities. Drummond’s support shows that concern over the Secretary’s performance indeed extends further than just representative Greene.
Yet another voice supporting Greene’s assertions was Missouri Attorney General, Andrew Bailey. He agreed with the charges put forth, and labelled Mayorkas’s actions as ‘in violation of the law and constitutional order’; a heavy indictment indeed.
Public sentiment regarding Mayorkas’s performance has been markedly negative, with a late November study indicating that the majority of respondents agree with Greene’s push to impeach Mayorkas. The study reported that 55% of likely voters desire his departure from the Homeland Security post, suggesting an expansive dissatisfaction with his performance.
A report from the Washington Examiner states that a Rasmussen Reports poll, however, paints an even more stinging picture. It reveals that a significant 64% of the study’s participants found Mayorkas lacking in his duty to safeguard the border. They believed he was ineffective in halting the entry of illegal crossers, deadly substances, and child traffickers. These findings indicate a broader public consensus shared with Greene’s demand for a more effective border security solution.
