The Department of Homeland Security hired a private law firm to work with Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as House Republicans inch closer to impeaching the Biden Cabinet official, according to a report.
The DHS confirmed in a statement to Fox News on Friday that the government had retained legal counsel to help the endangered secretary navigate looming efforts to remove him from office. The firm has not been identified.
The hire was made to “ensure the Department’s vital mission is not interrupted by the unprecedented, unjustified, and partisan impeachment efforts by some Members of Congress, who have already taken steps to initiate proceedings,” according to the spokeswoman.
The DHS’s solicitation of outside help indicates the department expects Republican action against Mayorkas is not a matter of if but when.
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The DHS did not respond to a request for comment about the cost of the law firm or if Mayorkas or the federal government would pay for it.
“DHS will continue prioritizing its work to protect our country from terrorism, respond to natural disasters, and secure our borders while responding appropriately to the over 70 Congressional committees and subcommittees that have oversight of DHS,” the DHS said in the statement.
House Republicans vowed last November to prioritize ending the border crisis, in which more than 5 million immigrants have been encountered attempting to enter the United States without authorization since President Joe Biden took office. The number of encounters under Biden is higher than the total seen during the Obama administration’s eight years, and Republicans have faulted Mayorkas for inadequately handling the matter.
The Biden administration has announced more stringent border policies over the past two months as the number of illegal immigrant arrests continued to rise through the fall and winter.
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Two House Republicans, Reps. Andy Biggs (AZ) and Pat Fallon (TX), introduced articles of impeachment against Mayorkas in January. Both lawmakers alleged that Mayorkas was not enforcing federal immigration laws and instead had chosen to apprehend and release immigrants into the U.S. overwhelmingly rather than returning people across the border.
