Alejandro Mayorkas: House votes to impeach Homeland Security chief

The US House of Representatives voted Tuesday to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, making him the first cabinet member to face the issue in nearly 150 years.

Many Republicans determined to punish the Biden administration over its handling of the US-Mexico border after failing last week in a politically embarrassing setback.

The Republicans blame Mayorkas for an unprecedented influx of migrants at the US-Mexico border, reports BBC.

After the first attempt failed last week, the Republican-led chamber voted 214 to 213 for the measure.

According to US President Joe Biden, the vote was a “blatant act of unconstitutional partisanship” and a “political stunt”.

Opponents accused Mayorkas of failing of not living up to his oath to “well and to fulfill his duties to secure the US border.

Two hundred and ten democrats voted against the impeachment, along with three Republican representatives: Tom McClintock of California, Ken Buck of Colorado, and Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin.

Over 6.3 million migrants have illegally entered the US since 2021, making immigration a troublesome and politically contentious issue ahead of the November election.

Donald Trump’s campaign took the issue as a major focus to oust Mr Biden from office.

Biden in a statement released shortly after the vote, defended Mayorkas, calling him “an honorable public servant”.

According to the US Customs and Border Protection agency, border crossings were down 50% in January.