Republicans urge congress to impeach DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas 

Twenty Republicans on Tuesday called to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in the next Congress, as the border crisis continues to deteriorate with a record number of border crossings. 

The lawmakers, led by GOP Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, are accusing Secretary Mayorkas of not taking the border crisis seriously. 

“Secretary Mayorkas has committed high crimes and misdemeanors. His conduct is not incompetent. It is not negligent. It is willful and intentional,” Biggs said.

"Secretary Mayorkas has released more than 1 million illegal aliens into the country," Biggs added. "Most of these released illegal aliens will never be heard from again."

To impeach a federal official, the House must pass a resolution presenting its case for the crime or misconduct that has been committed and requires the removal from office. 

After a majority vote from the House, the Senate votes on whether to convict or acquit the official in a trial presided over by the Chief Justice of the supreme court. The vote of at least two-thirds of the Senate is needed to convict the individual. 

As part of the impeachment, the Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee are planning an in-depth investigation into the border crisis, reported Fox News. 

"House Judiciary Republicans have summoned Mayorkas for border investigation," said Rep. Mayra Flores, R-Texas. "Nothing short of an impeachment and removal proceedings should be the outcome."

“Impeachment is not a tool for incompetence. It is not a tool for negligence. It is a tool for willful action to harm the country. That is what we see each and every day from Mayorkas,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. 

“If it's not already abundantly clear Alejandro Mayorkas has forsaken his sworn oath to protect the southern border, I don't know when it's going to be more clear,” said Rep. Brian Babin, R-Texas. 

The move comes as a record-breaking number of migrants have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. So far in the Fiscal Year 2023, which began in October, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials have intercepted more than 485,000 migrants and is expected to outpace the migrant numbers seen in the Fiscal Year 2022, which hit 517,000 encounters by the end of December