Vantage | Why impeachment of Biden's cabinet secretary is a big deal

In the United States, another impeachment is hitting headlines. This time, it is not the president but the cabinet secretary, named Alejandro Mayorkas. He is Biden’s top border official; the US House has impeached him. It is the first in 150 years. The matter will now move to the Senate, where the Democrats have a majority. So, in all likelihood, Mayorkas will keep his job. But for the Biden administration, it is a historic rebuke; under Joe Biden, border crossings have touched a record high. This impeachment comes in an election year when the Republicans are fighting on the issues of border security and immigration. So for them, it is a symbolic victory. Three Republicans sided with the Democrats; there was dissent in the ranks, but in the end, Mayorkas was impeached. “On this vote, the yeas are 214 and the nays are 213. The resolution is adopted pursuant to Section 2A of House Resolution 996. House resolution 995 is hereby adopted,” said Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson. This wasn’t their first attempt; the Republican-led House tried to impeach Mayorkas last week. That vote failed. It was almost embarrassing for them. So this was their second attempt at it, and it worked out narrowly for them.

However, for the Biden administration, it is a historic rebuke. Until now, only one cabinet secretary has been impeached in American history: Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876. So why did the Republicans impeach Mayorkas? He faced two articles of impeachment. One for refusing to enforce existing immigration laws, and two for lying to Congress that the border was secure. But many say the charges amount to just a policy dispute. Simply put, the Republicans did not like Biden’s border policies, but that doesn’t make it a crime. Especially one viable for impeachment. Mayor Kaskas has called the charges baseless, and President Biden has called it a “political stunt.” Next, the matter will go to the Senate. If it wants, the Senate can hold a trial; if not, it can send the issue to a committee. Either way, a conviction is unlikely. It needs a two-thirds majority in the Senate. But the Senate is led by the Democrats. So, Mayorkas is likely to keep his job. However, this impeachment is less about removing him and more about sending a message. It is an election year in America; immigration and border policy are top issues, and the Republicans want to show that they care. It comes at a time when border crossings are at a record high—6.3 million migrants have been detained trying to cross into the US illegally since 2021, which is higher than in Trump’s era. In fact, it is higher than crossings under Obama and Bush Jr. Last December, nearly 225,000 migrants tried to cross the US-Mexico border. It is the highest since 2000. The Republicans want to make it an election issue. The immigration issue is a crucial one for Trump. He has based his campaign on it. Trump says if he retakes the White House, he will launch “the largest domestic deportation operation in American history”. As for Joe Biden, he may not have fought the elections on immigration, but he has struggled with it. Biden has expanded border walls and engaged with neighbouring Mexico, but he hasn’t been able to stop the border crossings. So while his top border official may not lose his job, the impeachment is surely a big setback, both for Biden and his administration. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.