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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaAlejandro Mayorkas: House votes to impeach homeland security secretaryPublished4 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Republicans have accused homeland security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas of failing to fulfil his duties to secure the US borderBy Bernd Debusmann JrBBC News, WashingtonThe 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 an earlier attempt failed last week. The move now heads to the Senate for an impeachment trial. President Joe Biden on Tuesday called the vote a “blatant act of unconstitutional partisanship” and a “political stunt”. The vote was largely divided along party lines, with 210 Democrats voting against the impeachment, along with three Republican representatives: Tom McClintock of California, Ken Buck of Colorado and Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin. The three Republican defectors also voted against the first attempt to impeach Mr Mayorkas.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. Opponents of Mr Biden’s administration have accused Mr Mayorkas 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. Democrats and the administration have denied the charges. In a statement released shortly after the vote, Mr Biden defended Mr Mayorkas, calling him “an honourable public servant”.”Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas, a Cuban immigrant who came to the United States with his family as political refugees, has spent more than two decades serving America with integrity in a decorated career in law enforcement and public service,” the president said.”He has upheld the rule of law faithfully and has demonstrated a deep commitment to the values that make our nation great.”Mr Biden also criticised Republicans for pushing a “baseless impeachment” instead of working on passing bipartisan solutions on the border.Over the course of two hearings in January, Republicans charged Mr Mayorkas with failing to enforce existing immigration policies and lying about the border’s security. He did not testify. An earlier attempt to impeach Mr Mayorkas in the House narrowly failed. Three reasons why US border crossings at record high’People will keep dying’: Fentanyl crisis grips Mexico’s border citiesOne of the Democratic representatives, Al Green of Texas, appeared to vote unexpectedly after being wheeled into the chamber wearing hospital scrubs to vote against the impeachment. He had been in an emergency room having surgery. Tuesday’s vote, however, saw the return of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who was being treated for cancer during the last vote. Mr Scalise’s return gave Republicans the narrow margin they needed to secure the vote. Impeachment – a process outlined in the US Constitution – marks the first step in removing a federal official for high crimes or misdemeanours.It requires a simple majority in the 435-member House and a two-thirds majority in the 100-member Senate to succeed. The impeachment is unlikely to pass in the Senate, which is controlled by the Democrats. The last cabinet secretary to be impeached was Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876, although he resigned and left office shortly ahead of the vote. The impeachment comes amid rising public concern over US immigration and the administration’s handling of the border. A January poll conducted by CBS – the BBC’s US partner – suggests that nearly half of Americans view the situation at the border as a crisis, with 63% saying that the administration should adopt “tougher” policies.More on this storyUS House fails to impeach Mayorkas over border crisisPublished6 days agoRepublicans push for homeland secretary impeachmentPublished31 JanuaryThree reasons why US border crossings at record highPublished6 days agoTop StoriesRadio 2 presenter Steve Wright dies aged 69Published2 hours ago’No-one was that good’: Tributes pour in for Steve Wright. 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[ad_1] The impeachment push now moves to the Democrat-controlled Senate, where it is unlikely to succeed.
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaUS Senate releases deal on border and Ukraine – but will it ever become law?Published37 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, More than 6.3 million migrants have crossed into the US illegally since the beginning of 2021By Sam Cabral and Bernd Debusmann JrBBC News, WashingtonUS senators have unveiled a long-awaited cross-party deal that aims to combat illegal immigration at the US-Mexico border – and, in return, grant new aid to Ukraine and Israel.The bill would introduce much more severe measures to try to stem border crossings, which are at record levels. The influx is one of the biggest political headaches facing Joe Biden.The Democratic-led Senate will vote on the bill this week, but a senior House Republican said the bill was doomed.”Let me be clear: The Senate Border Bill will NOT receive a vote in the House,” said Representative Steve Scalise, the majority leader in the House of Representatives, where many Republicans want the bill to be tougher.Included in the huge $120bn funding deal is $60bn to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia and $14bn in security assistance for Israel.The military aid became part of a Mexico border deal because Republicans had said they would not agree to more money being sent to Ukraine until action was taken to fix the migrant crisis.Immigration has emerged as the top issue driving Republicans to the polls in support of former President Donald Trump, the front-runner to face Mr Biden in the November general election.Faced with mounting public anger over the migrant inflows, President Biden vowed in January to “shut down the border right now and fix it quickly” if Congress sent a bill to his desk.Biden risks Democrats’ fury again over borderThe bill, which senators of both parties have spent months negotiating, was unveiled on Sunday night.What’s happening at the border? Since President Biden took office in January 2021, more than 6.3 million migrants have been detained crossing into the US illegally between points of entry, according to statistics from the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS. Of these, about 2.4 million were allowed into the US, where the majority wait for immigration court dates in which they can make a case for asylum. The system is so overwhelmed that this can take years.A January poll conducted by CBS – the BBC’s US partner – shows that nearly half of Americans view the situation at the border as a crisis, with 63% saying that the administration should adopt “tougher” policies.More than two-thirds of Americans said they disapproved of Mr Biden’s handling of the issue. “Immigration is [Biden’s] Achilles’ heel. He is right up against the ropes on this,” said Tony Payan, the director of the Center for the United States and Mexico at Rice University’s Baker Institute in Texas.”The Republicans have been very successful at maintaining the issue on the headlines, and tying Biden to what they term ‘chaos’ on the border and an ‘invasion’ of migrants.”What’s in the new deal?The 370-page agreement will, in the words of Republican negotiator James Lankford, move from the current system of “catch and release” to one where migrants are detained and deported.Senator Lankford brokered the deal with Democratic colleague Chris Murphy and independent colleague Kyrsten Sinema. If passed into law, it would be the biggest immigration overhaul since the Reagan era in the 1980s.Among the most significant changes in the deal is a new federal authority that mandates a complete shutdown of the border when migrant crossings pass a threshold of 5,000 in a week.In practice, this would mean that migrants who arrive in the US illegally would no longer be allowed to request asylum and would be deported shortly thereafter.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Immigration is the top issue driving Republican voters to the pollsAdam Isacson, a migration and border expert from the Washington Office on Latin America, told the BBC that the change would mark a “radical” departure from current norms.The new bill, he says, reverts to the spirit of the Trump presidency which took a notably hard line on immigration, introducing Title 42, a pandemic-era policy that allowed for the rapid expulsion of migrants. Other reforms included in the deal are fast-tracked decisions on asylum cases, limits on humanitarian parole, expanded authority to remove migrants from the US, stricter consequences for illegal crossings and even $650m to build or reinforce miles of border wall.Collectively, Mr Isacson said these measures would have, not long ago, been largely considered unthinkable in US politics. Before Donald Trump, these kinds of measures were not in the mainstream debate, he said. “It was something that maybe people on the anti-immigrant fringe proposed. It really shows how much the window has shifted.” In endorsing the deal on Sunday, Mr Biden called it “the toughest and fairest” border reforms in decades.”It would give me, as president, a new emergency authority to shut down the border when it becomes overwhelmed. Get it to my desk so I can sign it into law immediately.”What’s next? The bill needs at least 60 votes to advance through the 100-member Senate.But widespread opposition to the deal among House Republicans means that the immigration bill is unlikely ever to become law. Some Democrats on the left of the party may also be unhappy.Even before its details were announced and his colleague Mr Scalise spoke out against it, House Speaker Mike Johnson warned that the deal would be “dead on arrival” in the chamber.Some Republicans have demanded stricter asylum restrictions, limiting programmes allowing migrants to live and work in the US while they wait for hearings.This Republican opposition has prompted Democrats to accuse Mr Johnson and others of bowing to pressure from Mr Trump, who has urged his Capitol Hill allies to kill the bill.”Call it the ‘stupid bill’ and make sure it doesn’t get passed,” the ex-president wrote on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday, claiming the deal “will make things MUCH WORSE”.Experts say that Mr Trump’s influence has cast a shadow over the negotiations.”Letting the Biden administration twist in the wind is exactly what the Trump campaign wants,” said Mr Isacson. “That sort of status quo, of They want more B-roll of chaos during the campaign.” Related TopicsMexico–US borderUS immigrationDonald TrumpUS politicsUnited StatesJoe BidenMore on this storyBiden risks Democrats’ fury again over borderPublished16 December 2023Times Square attack on police stirs immigration rowPublished2 days ago25 governors back Texas in border row with US govtPublished26 JanuaryTop StoriesWoman killed by dogs while trying to calm puppies – daughterPublished6 hours ago’Blown away’ – Taylor Swift makes history at GrammysPublished30 minutes agoLive. 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