House Republican on impeaching DHS secretary: ‘You’ve got to build a case’

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) on Sunday said Republicans should “build a case” when asked if he supported potential efforts by House Republicans to impeach Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border.

McCaul told ABC’s “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz that Mayorkas has been “derelict in his responsibilities” but “you’ve got to build a case” before impeachment.

“You need the facts, evidence before you indict,” the GOP lawmaker said.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) last week called for Mayorkas to resign, saying Republicans will investigate and potentially impeach him when they take control of the House in the next Congress.

The GOP has repeatedly hammered Mayorkas and how he has run DHS, pointing to statements he’s made that the border is under control despite record border crossing numbers.

Republicans have also raised concerns about the end of the “Remain in Mexico” asylum policy enacted under the Trump administration, which allowed border agents to force migrants to wait in Mexico while their asylum claims are heard.

McCaul on Sunday said he believes DHS under the Biden administration is “complicit with the biggest human trafficking of our lifetime.”

“I think the American people deserve some accountability,” he said while claiming, “I have a wide-open border in my home state.”