TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is renewing her calls for the impeachment of U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as the U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee begins impeachment hearings. Attorney General Moody has been advocating for Mayorkas's resignation since February 2022 and urged Congress to impeach him in April 2023. With monthly encounter numbers at the border reaching record-breaking levels, Attorney General Moody believes there is no end in sight to the crisis.
In a statement, Attorney General Moody said, "Secretary Mayorkas has undoubtedly orchestrated the most destructive and harmful border security policies in the history of the United States. Every time we believe the numbers cannot possibly get worse, they do. With every court battle we have won, and every fact we have revealed, to say he has been derelict in his duties is an understatement. I have been calling for him to resign or be removed for nearly two years and with every passing month, this crisis worsens, straining public resources and endangering American citizens. The United States House of Representatives has a duty and responsibility to the American people. Secretary Mayorkas must be impeached."
The renewed call for Mayorkas's impeachment comes in response to the United States House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee setting the first impeachment hearing for Mayorkas. Since Attorney General Moody's multistate effort to remove Mayorkas from office, the crisis at the border has intensified and continues to break records.
In March 2023, a federal court agreed with Attorney General Moody's office, finding Mayorkas and the Biden administration responsible for the border crisis. The court proceedings revealed crucial information about the government's actions and policies. These include:
- A deposition of former U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz, who stated that the Biden administration purposely reduced detention capacity and narrowed removal pathways, leading to the release of hundreds of thousands of immigrants into the interior.
- A memo outlining the federal government's plan to mass-release migrants into the United States in the event of an overrun at the border when Title 42 expired.
- Testimony and deposition of ICE Executive Associate Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations Corey Price, confirming that the Biden administration knew its immigration priorities would cut enforcement in half and still implemented them. Price also confirmed that ICE is removing significantly fewer inadmissible immigrants compared to previous administrations.
- ICE training videos showing officials discussing the logistical problems created when tens of thousands of immigrants were intentionally released without charging documents.
The court concluded that the evidence showed that the defendants, including Secretary Mayorkas, have turned the Southwest Border into a "meaningless line in the sand" and likened Mayorkas's actions to "posting a flashing 'Come In, We're Open' sign on the southern border."
Attorney General Moody's relentless pursuit of Mayorkas's resignation or impeachment underscores her commitment to addressing the border crisis and protecting American citizens. As the House Homeland Security Committee begins its hearings, the nation awaits the outcome of this pivotal moment in Secretary Mayorkas's tenure.
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