Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas appeared to dodge a question Thursday about stepping down if the House were to impeach him.
The House will begin a series of impeachment hearings against Mayorkas next week. When a Fox News anchor asked Mayorkas if he would step down in the event the House impeaches him, the Homeland Security secretary appeared to avoid answering the question.
“I lead 260 incredibly dedicated and talented men and women at the Department of Homeland Security,” Mayorkas said. “I will continue to lead them, in advancing the mission of protecting the American people.”
“That’s what we do, in the area of immigration, the area of cybersecurity, in our fight against human trafficking, in saving communities devastated by extreme weather events,” Mayorkas continued.
Next Wednesday, the House Homeland Security Committee will take a look at how migration has impacted the Midwest. The hearing follows a months-long review of the Cabinet member’s leadership at the border.
“Our investigation made clear that this crisis finds its foundation in Secretary Mayorkas’ decision-making and refusal to enforce the laws passed by Congress, and that his failure to fulfill his oath of office demands accountability,” Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.) said in a statement.
Last week, a migrant caravan of reportedly at least 6,000 people left a city in southern Mexico heading toward the U.S. According to a CBS News report, Customs and Border Protection processed 225,000 migrants in the first 27 days of December — a record-high count.