The US House of Representatives has voted to impeach Alejandro Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary.
The Republican-led house voted 214 to 213 after the first attempt failed last week. The House’s successful impeachment vote comes a week after another failed vote on the measure.
Mayorkas became the first cabinet member to face impeachment in nearly 150 years.
It will now head to the Democrat-led Senate, where it is likely to fail.
Describing the vote as a “blatant act of unconstitutional partisanship”, US President Joe Biden said it was a “political stunt”.
“He has upheld the rule of law faithfully and has demonstrated a deep commitment to the values that make our nation great,” Biden added.
The Republicans have accused Mayorkas of failing to enforce immigration policies and lying about border’s security.
In the US, impeachment marks the first step in removing an official for high crimes or misdemeanours. It requires a simple majority in the House, then a trial in the Senate. For that to succeed, a two-thirds majority is needed.
Mia Ehrenberg, a department of homeland security spokesperson, said in a statement that the impeachment was done “without a shred of evidence or legitimate constitutional grounds”.
“House Republicans will be remembered by history for trampling on the Constitution for political gain rather than working to solve the serious challenges at our border,” Ehrenberg added.
Since 2021, over 6.3 million migrants have entered the country illegally making the issue a politically contentious one ahead of the November election.
A poll conducted by the CBS suggests that nearly half of Americans view the situation at the border as a crisis, with 63% wanting “tougher” policies at the border.
The US Customs and Border Protection agency said border crossings were down 50% in January, attributing the dramatic drop to “seasonal trends, as well as enhanced enforcement efforts”.
Mayorkas is the first cabinet member to be impeached since William Belknap, secretary of war under President Ulysses S Grant, in 1876.
