The following statement was issued by Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), in response to the impeachment of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas:
(February 13, 2024, Washington, D.C.) "Today's vote in the House to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, only the second impeachment of a cabinet official in U.S. history, is a victory for the rule of law and the American people.
"Secretary Mayorkas has not just presided over the greatest wave of illegal immigration in the nation's history, he has actively encouraged it, facilitated it, and then forced the costs down the throats of the American people. This month marks three years since he swore to uphold the laws of the United States and protect the security of the homeland. Secretary Mayorkas, however, has done precisely the opposite.
"At every turn, Secretary Mayorkas has ignored statutes and undermined the rule of law. He has released illegal aliens into the U.S. instead of detaining and removing them. He has established permanent parole programs for hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals, violating the law that requires parole be granted temporarily and only on a case-by-case basis. He has allowed known terrorists and Special Interest Aliens to cross into the country unimpeded. And, he has actively undermined immigration enforcement, claiming that being in the country illegally is not by itself grounds for removal.
"The results of Mayorkas' actions have been catastrophic. Since taking office, more than 8.5 million illegal aliens have been encountered at our borders and another 1.8 million are known to have entered the country without being encountered by a Customs and Border Protection agency that is overwhelmed with the task of processing and releasing illegal migrants. At a time of unprecedented terror threats posed by Iranian proxy groups, and heightened espionage activity by China, Mayorkas has admitted that 85 percent of the migrants being encountered at the southern border are being released into the country.
"The tidal wave of illegal immigration that is endangering our national security and straining resources to the breaking point in communities all across the country is not because he lacks the authority or the resources to secure our borders and enforce our immigration laws. Rather, it is because he, with the support of President Biden, has subverted and undermined the laws he swore to uphold.
"The articles of impeachment passed by the House provide incontrovertible grounds for the Senate to convict him and remove him from office."