House Republicans Impeach Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is facing a Senate trial in two weeks after Republicans in the House of Representatives impeached him by a single vote, blaming him for the tens of thousands of illegal migrants who have crossed into the U.S. from Mexico in the past year.

The trial is set to unfold on February 26 when House impeachment managers, a contingent of Republican lawmakers acting as prosecutors against Mayorkas, formally walk the charges across the U.S. Capitol to present their case to the 100 senators, who will be acting as jurors.

The House vote Tuesday night was 214-213 to impeach, but Democrats hold a 51-49 voting edge in the Senate and have been openly disdainful of the impeachment effort targeting a key official in Democratic President Joe Biden’s Cabinet.

The Democrats could quickly vote to dismiss the impeachment case against Mayorkas without hearing evidence or shuffle the case off to a committee where nothing would happen. Or evidence for and against Mayorkas could be heard.

In the Senate, a two-thirds vote would be required to convict the 64-year-old Mayorkas and remove him from office, meaning at least 18 Democrats would have to join all 49 Republicans in favor of a conviction.

Mayorkas is the first Cabinet chief to be impeached since Secretary of War William Belknap was tried on corruption charges in 1876, shortly after he resigned. He was then acquitted in a Senate trial. Mayorkas has characterized the impeachment case against him as baseless.

“History will not look kindly on House Republicans for their blatant act of unconstitutional partisanship that has targeted an honorable public servant to play petty political games,” President Biden said about the impeachment.

The Republican complaints against Mayorkas are legitimate against Biden’s handling of border issues and sure to be a prime issue in the November presidential election, where Biden is again likely to face former Republican President Donald Trump after defeating him in 2020. Trump says his tougher immigration stance is needed to secure the border.