People Power United signs on to a letter opposing the impeachment of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
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People Power United signs on to a letter opposing the impeachment of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
People Power United has joined other groups to sign on to a letter opposing the impeachment of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Shout out to Lawyers Defending American Democracy for leading these efforts. Here is a copy of the letter we sent on behalf of our People Power United members:
We, the undersigned, write to express our opposition to the unprecedented effort to impeach the Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas. There has not been a serious attempt to impeach a Cabinet secretary since 1876, when in that case corruption and bribery were clearly established. We urge you to reject this brazenly political and reckless effort which is baseless, ahistorical, and sets a dangerous precedent while weaponizing dangerous extremist rhetoric.
Unprecedented to Impeach a Cabinet Secretary Over Policy Differences Constitutional experts across the political spectrum agree that the GOP-led effort to impeach Secretary Mayorkas is “a stark departure from the Constitution” and has failed to produce any evidence of a high crime or misdemeanor that would warrant these proceedings. The experts wrote earlier this year that the, “proposed grounds for impeaching Secretary Mayorkas are the stuff of ordinary… policy disagreement in the field of immigration enforcement.” They continued, saying, “It is telling that there is absolutely no historical precedent for the impeachment charges that House Republicans have articulated. To the contrary, on the rare occasions that Members of the House have proposed impeaching executive officials for their handling of immigration matters, the House has properly retreated from that grave step.”
The House has wasted time and taxpayer money throughout most of 2023 investigating President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas and failed to produce a single impeachable offense that comes close to previous, historical standards. Simply put, policy differences do not warrant impeachment. The flagrant abuse of this vital component of democratic checks and balances cannot be legitimized.
Mainstream Republicans Have Called Out the Effort for What it is, a Political Stunt Former Republican Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff called this a “political stunt” that would put “form over substance” and would come at the expense of “actually working with the administration to solve the problem.” Senior House GOP leader Tom McClintock (R-CA) gave a floor speech immediately following Rep. Greene’s remarks, saying there was no evidence of constitutional impeachable offenses, and that House Republicans are creating a dangerous precedent in this effort. Further, Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) tweeted: “Secretary Mayorkas did not commit an impeachable offense... He is not guilty of high crimes or misdemeanors.” And, Senator Lankford (R-OK), one of the lead immigration negotiators for the Republican party in the Senate, told Hill reporters: “The problem is… not Mayorkas… So you can swap secretaries, the policies are going to be exactly the same.”
Since the beginning of this Congress, far-right House Republicans have fundraised off of the plans to impeach Secretary Mayorkas prior to investigations even beginning, said the impeachment was “guaranteed” to them by leadership, and called the impeachment of Secretary
Mayorkas the “beautiful dessert” in exchange for the “shit sandwich” debt ceiling agreement. House Republicans refuse to come to the table to find common ground. Instead, they want to use our broken immigration system to enact unworkable, extreme, and dangerous policies and launch a baseless political campaign against Secretary Mayorkas.
The Political Theater of a Baseless Impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas Normalizes Dangerous White Supremacist Narratives
Driven by far-right GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and the most extreme faction of the House, the efforts to impeach Secretary Mayorkas have been filled with white nationalist conspiracy theories that not only detract from the legitimate policy discussions Congress should be having, but also threaten the fabric of our democratic institutions. Impeachment is a serious and consequential constitutional process that demands a robust and fact-based foundation. To invoke this process based on dangerous conspiracy theories undermines the integrity of our democracy and risks normalizing baseless accusations as a means to sow violent unrest and achieve political goals.
It is completely unacceptable and irresponsible for the House GOP Majority to normalize deadly conspiracies of an immigrant “invasion.” Far-right Republicans are fostering a dangerous political climate and simultaneously ignoring the connections to real-world violence in Charlottesville, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, El Paso, and elsewhere. Invoking the language of the Great Replacement Conspiracy Theory empowers domestic extremists and inspires violence. While they claim that their efforts are in furtherance of the country’s safety, the extreme House members employing dangerous conspiracies are, in fact, doing exactly the opposite, amplifying an already leading threat to the homeland.
We urge you both to disavow this baseless impeachment effort and vote against the impeachment articles brought against Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas. In addressing the challenges our nation faces, it is paramount that we unite against unfounded conspiracy theories and political stunts and prioritize the best interests of the American people.
Sincerely,
National Groups
African Community Together
America's Voice
American Federation of Teachers
American Friends Service Committee
Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Black Church Center for Justice & Equality
Care in Action
CASA in Action
Center for Gender & Refugee Studies
Chispa
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) Community Change Action
Congolese Community of Washington Metropolitan (CCWM) Congressional Integrity Project
DemCast USA
Democracy 21
Haitian Bridge Alliance
HIAS
Human Right Campaign
Immigration Equality
Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Futures Society Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Lawyers for Good Government
League of Conservation Voters
MomsRising Together
National Action Network
National Coalition on Black Civic Participation National Domestic Workers Alliance
National Education Association
National Employment Law Project
National Immigration Forum
National Immigration Law Center
National Partnership for New Americans
P Street
People Power United
People's Action
Poder Latinx
Public Citizen
Revolving Door Project
Secure Elections Network
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
The Immigration Hub
TPS-DED AAC
UFW Foundation
UnidosUS
United Farm Workers
Western States Center
Working Families Party
State/Local Groups
Ayuda
Brazilians for Democracy
Central American Resource Center of Northern California - CARECEN SF Citizen Action of New York
Clean Elections Texas
Estrella del Paso (formerly Diocesan Migrant & Refugee Services) Estrella del Paso (Formerly DMRS)
Florida Immigrant Coalition
Florida Immigrant Coalition
Florida Rising
Hope Border Institute
Immigrant Defenders Law Center
Indivisible Brooklyn
Indivisible Harlem
Indivisible Media City Burbank
Indivisible San Jose
Just Neighbors
La Mesa Boricua de Florida
Las Semillas Inc
Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition Oasis Legal Services
River Valley Organizing
SEIU 1991
VOCAL-NY
Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center
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