Cabinet Member Impeached for the First Time in 150 Years

(DailyVantage.com) – House Republicans made history after they successfully impeached Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a move not seen in the history of American politics since 1876.

Members of the GOP in the House have long taken issue with what they believe is Mayorkas’ mishandling of the U.S. migrant crisis, but until the most recent vote, they have lacked the numbers to impeach the DHS secretary. The vote to have Mayorkas booted out was close – 214 for and 213 against the measure.

Mayorkas’ detractors point especially to the country’s southern border, where thousands have managed to enter America illegally. Thousands more are encamped, hoping for a chance to move into the U.S. Migrants who have been granted temporary leave to stay while waiting for their asylum applications to be reviewed have placed an enormous burden on the local governments that have taken them in. So-called “sanctuary cities,” such as New York, Chicago, and Denver, have all been buckling under the weight of supporting these migrants and have made repeated calls to the federal government asking for more aid.

According to the 22-page articles of impeachment against Mayorkas, the DHS secretary was deemed a continued “threat to national and border security” due to his actions while in office, which were described as “grossly incompatible with his duties and the rule of law.” The articles of impeachment also accuse Mayorkas of lying to Congress as well as resisting and attempting to block oversight from both the House and the DHS inspector general.

While impeached in Congress – the first since the 1876 congressional impeachment of William Belknap, who served as Secretary of War during the administration of then-President Ulysses S. Grant – Mayorkas is likely to keep his post, given that the Democrats hold the Senate and are likely to take his side.

Immigration has been a hot topic of late, especially for voters. The results of a new poll conducted by Harvard CAPS-Harris show that immigration issues have topped inflation as the new top concern for voters, with 35% of respondents saying that immigration was their top concern. In comparison, 32% said the same about inflation.