WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The Republican-led US House Homeland Security Committee is holding its first impeachment hearing against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas this week for his alleged mishandling of the immigration crisis on the US southern border.
The three-hour hearing will start at 10 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday on Capitol Hill, but Mayorkas is not scheduled to attend.
The first hearing will feature as witnesses the state attorney generals of Missouri, Oklahoma, and Montana, including a law professor from the University of Missouri.
Last week, US House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green said the panel’s investigation found sufficient evidence to impeach Mayorkas for allegedly ignoring border security measures and misusing taxpayer funds.
Mayorkas said that he intends to cooperate with the impeachment probe
The impeachment probe comes amid a record surge in illegal immigration on the US southern border. According to media reports, US officials documented 302,000 migrant encounters on the US southern border in December – the highest figure recorded in a single month.
The White House, which has been involved in negotiations with lawmakers to reach a deal on a Ukraine aid and border security bill, is reportedly willing to work with Republicans on including provisions in the legislation that will strengthen immigration policies.
The US-Mexico border has turned into a crisis that has experienced three consecutive record breaking years of illegal migration since President Joe Biden came into office and relaxed immigration policies. More than 5 million immigrants have come through the US-Mexico border illegally under Biden, media reported.
