Esteemed Congressmen Chip Roy (Texas-21st) and Michael Cloud (Texas-27th) recently authored an op-ed article for Fox News titled "It's time to impeach DHS chief Mayorkas: The secretary's brazen dereliction of duty is directly harming the American people."
The article excellently lays out the compelling case for the desperately needed impeachment of the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
The Congressmen begin by explaining the crux of their argument:
Those sworn to uphold the United States Constitution are given a sacred trust by the American people. When people violate that oath, they attack the principle of government by consent of the governed. In the case of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and the ongoing border crisis, violations of that oath can endanger American lives. As representatives whose state (Texas) has come under siege by these policies, we are calling on Congress to begin impeachment procedures.
The case against Mayorkas is as lengthy as it is clear. In simplest terms, he has failed to faithfully execute America's laws, and harmed Americans as a result, all to achieve a political outcome not supported by the law: establishing a wide-open border to issue legal status to as many illegal migrants as possible.
The Congressmen support their claim of a clear case against Mayorkas with a prominent mention of skyrocketing border encounters. They lay bare the evidence from Customs and Border Protection that within Fiscal Year 2021, the DHS executed approximately 1.96 million' enforcement actions' - "the highest yearly total on record."
Additionally, the Congressmen comment on December 2021's border encounter total - 178,840, the highest December total ever recorded, which brought the 2021 calendar year total to well over 2,000,000 illegal aliens unlawfully crossing into the United States.
Reps. Roy and Cloud also explain in detail some of the other transgressions willfully committed by the Department of Homeland Security's highest official. These include: "terminated construction of the border wall, despite Congressional appropriation," and causing "CBP to become overwhelmed and less-capable to enforce the law – primarily by failing to utilize tools such as Title 42 and the "Remain in Mexico" policy."
Perhaps the most egregious, however:
Mayorkas has released migrants, despite the law, into the United States. Generally, any individual who illegally crosses our border is required by statute to be detained and placed in removal proceedings. However, reports show that border patrol directly released 283,000 migrants into the U.S. in FY21, 95,000 without the statutory requirement of a "Notice to Appear." This doesn't include the estimated 400,000 known "got-aways" or the roughly 120,000 Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) released by HHS in FY21.
The Representatives continue to lay out the case for impeachment by explaining the detriment Mayorkas's dereliction of duty has caused - particularly in the field of tremendously deadly narcotics, an illicit trade over the southern border which has boomed under the failed leadership of Mayorkas.
According to the Congressmen, since Mayorkas's confirmation as secretary, "almost 14,000 pounds of fentanyl have been seized by federal agents at the southern border." For context, approximately 7,600 pounds of the synthetic opioid were seized in FY19 and FY20 combined!
"These drugs are killing Americans," the Congressmen exclaim - citing the horrifying data released by the CDC stating that "in the 12-month period ending in April 2021, an estimated 100,306 Americans died from drug overdoses." Furthermore, according to the CDC, even during the continued coronavirus pandemic, "Fentanyl deaths are now the leading cause of death for Americans 18 to 45 years old."
This has obviously been a boon for international gangs and Mexican cartels, which the Congressmen charge Mayorkas with empowering via his dangerously weak policies - "placing American citizens at risk of physical harm and endangering [their] livelihoods." The Congressmen also take note of the deadly human trafficking crisis led by these same drug-peddling gangs.
Representatives Chip Roy and Michael Cloud conclude their article:
In sum, the secretary's brazen dereliction of duty is directly harming the American people by endangering their lives and livelihoods on a daily basis.
...
The DHS secretary's oath requires Mayorkas to "well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which [he is] about to enter." Congress has enacted border security laws that require the secretary of Homeland Security to "achieve and maintain operational control over the entire international land and maritime borders of the United States."Mayorkas has not only failed to maintain operational control of the border, but his actions also have directly facilitated the loss thereof.
For the complete op-ed by the Representatives, please visit Fox News.
