WC Wisconsin News

Congressman Derrick Van Orden (WI-03) has voted to impeach U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, citing the ongoing border crisis as the primary reason for his decision. Van Orden expressed his concerns about the safety and security of the United States, accusing Mayorkas and the Biden administration of disregarding the rule of law.

In a statement, Van Orden asserted, "We are experiencing the worst border crisis in history under President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas. The disregard for the safety and security of the United States, as well as the refusal to uphold the rule of law, is appalling."

Van Orden highlighted the staggering numbers associated with illegal border crossings since the Biden administration took office. He stated, "With over 7 million illegal crossings at the southern border and 1.7 million gotaways evading U.S. Border Patrol since the Biden administration took office, Secretary Mayorkas has willfully and systemically refused to comply with federal immigration laws."

One of the key issues raised by Van Orden is Mayorkas' instruction to ICE and DHS personnel regarding the grounds for taking individuals into custody. Van Orden criticized Mayorkas for instructing personnel not to rely solely on the fact that an individual is residing in the country illegally or has criminal and terrorism-related convictions.

"The most egregious example of this is Secretary Mayorkas instructing ICE and DHS personnel not to rely solely on the fact that the alien is residing in the country illegally or that they have criminal and terrorism-related convictions as grounds to take them into custody," Van Orden stated.

Van Orden firmly believes that Congress has a constitutional duty to protect the American people and that border security is integral to national security. He argued, "Border security is national security, and we cannot have someone who refuses to secure the southern border in charge of protecting our homeland. It was clearly past time to impeach Secretary Mayorkas."

As the debate surrounding immigration and border security continues to intensify, Van Orden's decision to vote for Mayorkas' impeachment reflects growing concerns within Congress about the current state of affairs at the southern border. The outcome of this vote will undoubtedly have significant implications for the Department of Homeland Security and its leadership.