The House of Representatives has narrowly voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, making him the first cabinet member to face impeachment in nearly 150 years. Many Republicans blame Mr Mayorkas for an unprecedented influx of migrants at the US-Mexico border. The Republican-led chamber voted 214 to 213 for the measure, after the first attempt failed last week.
The issue now heads to the Democratic-led Senate, where it is likely to fail.
President Joe Biden on Tuesday called the vote a “blatant act of unconstitutional partisanship” and a “political stunt”.
Opponents of Mr Mayorkas accused him of not living up to his oath to “well and faithfully discharge the duties” of his office by failing to do more to secure the border.
The vote was largely divided along party lines, with 210 Democrats voting against the impeachment, along with three Republican representatives: Tom Mc Clintock of California, Ken Buck of Colorado and Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin.
More than 6.3 million migrants have entered the US illegally since 2021, making immigration a divisive and politically contentious issue ahead of the November election.
Credit: bbc.com
