House to send Mayorkas impeachment articles to the Senate, forcing a trial

By MARY CLARE JALONICK and STEPHEN GROVES
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson says he is sending impeachment charges against Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate. Tuesday’s move will force senators to convene a trial on the allegations the Homeland Security secretary has “willfully and systematically” refused to enforce existing immigration laws. The proceedings may not last long. While the Senate must convene a trial under the rules of impeachment, Democrats are expected to dismiss or table the charges before any arguments are underway. Majority Democrats have said the GOP effort doesn’t rise to the “high crimes and misdemeanors” laid out as a bar for impeachment. At a separate hearing Tuesday, Mayorkas defended his department’s efforts but said the nation’s immigration system is “fundamentally broken, and only Congress can fix it.”