House Republicans accuse homeland security secretary of failing to enforce border laws, but Schumer says charges are ‘beneath dignity of the Senate’
The US Senate is expected Wednesday to quickly dismiss the impeachment brought by Republicans against Alejandro Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary, with the top Democrat calling the charges an “illegitimate and profane abuse of the US Constitution”.
At 1pm, when the Senate convenes as a court of impeachment and the senators are sworn in as jurors, Chuck Schumer, the majority leader, said he would seek an agreement to allow for a period of debate before moving to a vote to dismiss the charges, ending the proceedings without a formal trial.
“It is beneath the dignity of the Senate to entertain this nakedly partisan exercise,” Schumer said.
House Republican impeachment managers on Tuesday presented two articles of impeachment to the Senate. They accused the secretary of failing to enforce US border laws and breaching the public trust with his statements to Congress about unusually high levels of migration to the US southern border with Mexico.
Joe Biden has said he continues to have confidence in Mayorkas, who has denied wrongdoing throughout the process.
“As they work on impeachment, I work in advancing the missions of the Department of Homeland Security.
