Border Encounters Rise to Record January High, CBP Says

U.S. Border Patrol agents last month apprehended a record number of illegal immigrants for a January, according to statistics released by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Feb. 13.

“CBP remains on the frontline in preventing fentanyl and other dangerous drugs from entering our country, enforcing our nation’s laws, and interdicting 34 percent more fentanyl and 6 percent more cocaine than the previous month.”

During the Biden administration, Border Patrol agents have documented unprecedented levels of illegal immigration.

CBP personnel encountered more than 2.2 million illegal immigrants at the southern border during fiscal year 2022, and more than 2 million illegal immigrants during fiscal year 2023, data shows.

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Republicans in Congress have questioned the administration and relevant members of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet.

Impeachment of Mayorkas

On the same day that the data were released, Republicans in the House voted to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, who became just the second Cabinet member ever to be impeached; The last one was in 1876.

Mr. Mayorkas, who was nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Democrat-controlled Senate in 2021, was impeached on two counts related to his management of the border.

The impeachment was approved by a vote of 214–213, with all Democrats voting against the measure and all but three Republicans voting in support of it.

The vote followed one week after a 214–216 failed attempt, during which Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah)—who was recently elected as vice chair of the House Republican Conference—changed his “yes” vote to a “no” in a parliamentary move that would enable the chamber to revisit the impeachment resolution.

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), the House majority leader, who was absent from the first vote because of cancer treatment, cast the vote that ultimately decided the outcome in the Feb. 13 vote.

The impeachment resolution was opposed by three Republicans who voted against it both times—Reps. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), and Tom McClintock (R-Calif.).

Administration Response

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) asserted that Republicans made the wrong decision.

“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,” DHS spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg said in a statement.

“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. Secretary Mayorkas and the Department of Homeland Security will continue working every day to keep Americans safe.”

President Biden also denounced the impeachment, calling it a “blatant act of unconstitutional partisanship” on the part of House Republicans, whom he accused of “playing politics with the border.”

He also defended his secretary of the homeland and his administration’s handling of border security.

“Congress needs to act to give me, Secretary Mayorkas, and my administration the tools and resources needed to address the situation at the border,” the president said in a statement.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), however, defended the Republican decision, saying that Mr. Mayorkas “deserves to be impeached.”

“From his first day in office, Secretary Mayorkas has willfully and consistently refused to comply with federal immigration laws, fueling the worst border catastrophe in American history,” Mr. Johnson said.

“He has undermined public trust through multiple false statements to Congress, obstructed lawful oversight of the Department of Homeland Security, and violated his oath of office.”

Mark Tapscott and Joseph Lord contributed to this report.