House Speaker Mike Johnson announced on Thursday that the impeachment articles against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will be sent to the Senate on April 10, and senators are then expected to be sworn in and seated as a jury the next day, April 11.
In a new letter, Johnson and the Republican impeachment managers called on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to “schedule a trial of the matter expeditiously.”
The House voted to impeach Mayorkas on Feb. 13 by a vote of 214-213 over what Republicans claimed was his failure to enforce border laws amid a “crisis” of high illegal immigration, allegations the secretary denied as “baseless.” But Johnson waited to send over the articles until the government was fully funded.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas takes part in a joint news conference with the Guatemalan president, at the National Palace in Guatemala City, March 21, 2024.
Santiago Billy/AP
“The evidence on both charges is clear, comprehensive, and compelling, and the House’s solemn act to impeach the first sitting Cabinet official in American history demands timely action by the Senate,” the letter to Schumer states.
Asked for a statement, DHS referred ABC News to a statement when Mayorkas was initially impeached.
“Without a shred of evidence or legitimate Constitutional grounds, and despite bipartisan opposition, House Republicans have falsely smeared a dedicated public servant who has spent more than 20 years enforcing our laws and serving our country,” DHS spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg said. “Secretary Mayorkas and the Department of Homeland Security will continue working every day to keep Americans safe.”
Once the articles are sent over, the Senate will be sworn in and seated as a jury.
Schumer has not indicated what he will do with the impeachment articles, but it is widely expected that Democrats could move to scuttle the impeachment effort as quickly as possible.
Some options include either proceeding with a trial, moving to dismiss the articles of impeachment in a simple majority vote or referring the matter to an impeachment committee.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson makes a statement to members of the news media in Washington, February 27, 2024.
Leah Millis/Reuters
“We call upon you to fulfill your constitutional obligation to hold this trial,” House Republicans wrote in the letter. “The American people demand a secure border, an end to this crisis, and accountability for those responsible. To table articles of impeachment without ever hearing a single argument or reviewing a piece of evidence would be a violation of our constitutional order and an affront to the American people whom we all serve.”
The impeachment managers are: Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, Rep. Andy Biggs, Rep. Ben Cline, Rep. Andrew Garbarino, Rep. Michael Guest, Rep. Harriet Hageman, Rep. Clay Higgins, Rep. Laurel Lee, Rep. August Pfluger, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Several Republican senators have also called on Schumer to hold a full trial in recent days. If he does, the charges require a vote by two-thirds of the Senate to convict Mayorkas and remove him from office — though there are not currently enough votes to do so.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated.
ABC News’ Luke Barr and Mariam Khan contributed to this report.