The House is sending articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate on Tuesday. This is because some Republicans believe Mayorkas didn’t do a good job handling issues at the southern border.
However, a big trial in the Senate, like we’ve seen before with impeachments, is unlikely. Even though many Republicans want a full trial, it’s not expected to happen.
In February, the House voted to impeach Mayorkas for not enforcing border laws well. But Mayorkas and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) say these claims are not true.
DHS thinks the impeachment is unfair and without good reason. They say Mayorkas has been working hard to keep Americans safe.
Originally, the House was going to send the articles to the Senate last week. But Senate Republicans asked for more time to think about it.
Even with this delay, it’s doubtful there will be a big trial in the Senate. The Senate could choose to dismiss the trial or have a committee handle it instead.
Most Democrats in the Senate will probably want to dismiss the trial. But they need all Democrats to agree, and Republicans will probably disagree.
Here’s what’s supposed to happen next:
- The House will send the articles of impeachment to the Senate on Tuesday afternoon.
- House managers, like Mark Green and Michael McCaul, will walk the articles to the Senate.
- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says senators will be sworn in as jurors on Wednesday.
- After being sworn in, senators will decide on the rules for the trial.
- One option is that the Senate quickly dismisses the trial with a simple vote. This would end the trial right away. But it’s not likely to happen because most Republicans won’t agree to it.
