Border Patrol union says officers could back Mayorkas impeachment as crisis rages
A senior Border Patrol union official told TOU this week that officers could support a possible removal of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas if it is accompanied by a change in the situation at the border which, according to the agents, left them overwhelmed.
Last year, Republicans in Congress raised the specter of possible impeachment amid the ongoing crisis on the southern border, which saw 2.3 million migrant encounters in fiscal year 2022 and isn’t slowing down – with nine straight months of encounters above 200,000.
“How else are we going to get the message across to Mayorkas and the White House that it really is a disaster here and we need help?” National Border Patrol Council Vice Chairman Jon Anfinsen told TOU at the border.
Current House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-California, in November called on mayors to step down or face impeachment in the new Congress.
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Last year, Republicans in Congress raised the specter of possible impeachment of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over the ongoing crisis on the southern border, which has seen 2.3 million encounters by migrants in fiscal year 2022 and not slowing down.
(VERONICA G. CARDENAS/AFP via Getty Images)
“He cannot and must not stay in this position,” he said. “If Secretary Mayorkas does not resign, House Republicans will investigate every order, every action and every failure to determine if we can open an impeachment inquiry.”
A DHS spokesperson responded at the time, saying Mayorkas “is proud to further this department’s noble mission, support its extraordinary workforce, and serve the American people.
“The Department will continue its work to enforce our laws and secure our border, while building a safe, orderly and humane immigration system.”
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DHS and the administration have since attempted to put the ball in Congress’ court, calling on lawmakers to pass a sweeping immigration bill to fix what they say is a “broken” system that needs fixing. repairs for years. But the impeachment push has remained hot, with Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, introducing articles of impeachment against Mayorkas this month.
The Border Patrol Union, which has previously backed calls to remove the DHS chief, says it wants change.
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“If at the very least it puts a bigger spotlight on what’s going on here, I’m hoping to get some of the resources and maybe get the Border Patrol agents out of the asylum sector and get us back on the ground, so we’re all for it,” Anfinsen said. “It’s just a question of what will come of it in the end. That’s the question.”
Anfinsen also echoed a common complaint from officers that they are pulled from the front line to help with processing, instead of patrolling the border itself.
“Agents can help with [processing]. But they also have to be there to be able to do border patrol, the part that goes into our job title, border patrol agent. We’re supposed to be out there patrolling along the border,” he said.
TOU
CBP sources told TOU this week that there were more than 250,000 border encounters in December, as well as more than 70,000 “getaways.”
