According to a Tuesday report, House Republicans intend to proceed with contempt charges against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and consider impeachment in response to reports that terrorist suspects have crossed the porous U.S.-Mexico border.

The Washington Examiner reported that House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) stated on Monday afternoon that Mayorkas “failed to adequately respond to questions from three House committees regarding the number of illegal immigrants arrested at the border who were on the FBI’s terror watch list.”

“A spokeswoman for Scalise said Mayorkas had opened himself up to serious consequences by withholding national security information, including being held in contempt of Congress and impeachment,” the outlet’s report continued.

In an email to the media outlet, Scalise spokeswoman Lauren Fine stated, “All options are on the table.”

“Secretary Mayorkas failed to substantively respond to this important national security request,” Scalise noted in a press release.

The Examiner continued:

Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Accountability Committee James Comer (R-Kentucky), and Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee Mark Green (R-Tennessee) requested in a letter dated May 19 that Mayorkas provide documents and other information regarding the rising number of illegal immigrants with ties to terrorism apprehended at the southern border.

DHS did affirm to the committees that it had received the requests, and according to a source familiar with the process who was authorized to speak with the Washington Examiner, Scalise issued his statement while DHS was working on the matter.

The same official stated that DHS had informed committee staff of the legal restrictions, sensitive law enforcement information, and multiple agencies involved, which made a rapid response more difficult.

In May, Border Patrol agents in southeast Arizona apprehended a Pakistani national who was on the FBI’s terrorism watch list and attempted to illegally enter the United States from Mexico. The apprehension occurred shortly after an Afghan national on the terror watch list was apprehended in California the week prior.

Border Patrol agents stationed at the southern border prevented 96 individuals on the FBI’s terror watch list from illegally entering the United States from October to April, the beginning of the fiscal year.

It is important to note that this number represents a minuscule percentage of the over 1.1 million arrests made by the Border Patrol during the same time period.

Last month, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) called for the impeachment of Mayorkas, arguing that his “failure to act” as chief border official necessitates his removal and urging Congress to act.

Since Mayorkas will not voluntarily resign, Emmer stated, “he should be impeached.”

Emmer discussed the contentious issue of impeachment before stating that the overcrowded southern border represents the “greatest malfeasance” on the part of President Biden’s top border official.

More on this story via Conservative Brief:

“They talk about being humane. Children are disappearing. People are getting killed,” Emmer said. “You’ve got 80 people that have come across the southern border that are on the terrorist watch list.” CONTINUE READING…