Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday pushed back against the accusations being made against him in articles of impeachment released over the weekend, saying that the claims being made against him are "baseless."
"I will defer a discussion of the constitutionality of your current effort to the many respected scholars and experts across the political spectrum who already have opined it is contrary to law," Mayorkas said in a seven-page letter, obtained by ABC News, to the Homeland Security Committee.
"What I will not defer to others is a response to the politically motivated accusations and personal attacks you have made against me," he added.
The committee is expected to vote Tuesday to send the impeachment articles to the House for a full vote, but Mayorkas said the "false accusations" that have been made about him will not divert him "from the law enforcement and broader public service mission to which I have devoted most of my career and to which I remain devoted."
Mayorkas added that he has always adhered to the oath of office he has taken six times during his career in public service and said that as a Cuban-American, he has had "reverence" for law enforcement after being brought to the United States by his parents, who were Cuban exiles.
He also spoke of his federal service, which began with his being appointed as a U.S. attorney in Los Angeles. He also has served as a director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and eventually as deputy secretary of Homeland Security.
"I no longer introduce and argue evidence in a federal courtroom to persuade the jury to convict a dangerous criminal, but the mission to which I remain devoted is the same: to safeguard the American people," he said.
Republicans are accusing Mayorkas of failing to enforce federal law at the southern border, and he said in his letter, "That is false."
He also called the committee's argument that he did not cooperate with oversight requests "baseless and inaccurate," pointing out that he testified before the Homeland Security Committee seven times.
"I agreed to testify again and asked to work with your staff to identify a mutually agreeable date," he said. "You did not respond to my request, changed course, and instead invited me to submit written testimony. Two days later, you issued a statement representing that every member of the committee's majority already had rendered their decision. I respectfully submit this letter in response."
Mayorkas indicated that he will continue to cooperate in "good faith" with the committee, and acknowledged there is still much to be done on the southern border.
He noted that he's been working with a bipartisan group of senators in recent months to provide expertise in their work to strengthen border security legislation through a proposed deal to be combined with a bill for funding for Ukraine and Israel.
"These efforts would yield significant new enforcement tools and make a substantial difference at our border," Mayorkas wrote, adding that he wants the deal to be completed so more resources can be delivered for Border Patrol agents.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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