Rep. Mike Kelly statement on the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) issued the following statement after he joined the majority of the House of Representatives to impeach U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

“Over the last three years, Secretary Mayorkas’ failure to secure the border has turned every state into a border state. More than 8 million people have been caught by Border Patrol at the Southern border with nearly 2 million more known as "gotaways." And those are just the people we know about. Meanwhile, 85% of terror suspects caught at ports of entry in 2023 came through the Northern border, not the Southern border. In 2023, we saw a 241% increase of illegal migrant apprehensions after they crossed into the United States from Canada. Due to the flood of illegal crossings at the Southern border under Secretary Mayorkas’ failed leadership, they are finding it to be quicker and easier to fly into Canada and cross into the United States through our wide-open Northern border," said Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA). "We have border laws in place. Secretary Mayorkas and the Biden administration at large have failed to enforce them. The reality is that the all of our borders remain unprotected and overexposed under the Biden-Mayorkas border crisis.”

Additionally, Speaker Johnson and House leadership have outlined eight executive authorities the Biden administration can enforce today to begin securing the border. They are outlined below.

BACKGROUND

In addition to serving as Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax, Rep. Kelly co-founded and has served as Co-Chair of the Northern Border Security Caucus since February 2023. In October, Kelly introduced this resolution demanding Secretary Mayorkas and the Department of Homeland Security to produce a plan that would secure the Northern border as well as the Southern border. Kelly's resolution came amid new numbers showing a surge of terror watchlist suspects illegally entering the U.S. through the Northern border with Canada.

You can read more about Kelly's work with the Northern Border Security Caucus here and his USA Today op-ed about his plans to secure the Northern border published in January 2024 here.

In 2023, Kelly and House Republicans passed H.R. 2 "Secure The Border Act," legislation that would boost Border Patrol, end the abuse of executive immigration authority, and strengthen the asylum process.

In 2021, Kelly visited the Southern border to meet with Border Patrol and to see the surge of illegal immigration firsthand and as the border crisis began.