US Senate ends impeachment of Biden’s top border official without trial

WASHINGTON: The Democratic-majority US Senate on Wednesday dismissed both impeachment charges against President Joe Biden’s top border official, bring a swift end to an effort that House of Representatives Republicans launched months ago.

In a series of partisan votes, the Senate dismissed the charges accusing Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas of not enforcing US border laws and lying to Congress.

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Mayorkas denied both charges.

Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer engineered the outcome that protected Mayorkas from losing his Cabinet-level job by averting a trial in which senators were sworn-in to judge the case.

Republican senators protested the move, insisting on a full-blown trial and then repeatedly sought delays when it became clear that there would be no trial.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has made immigration a centerpiece of his presidential campaign against Biden.

Schumer argued that Republicans had abused the Constitution’s impeachment mechanism to remove officials from office for high crimes, misdemeanors and treason.

Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell earlier had called for a “thorough consideration” of the charges against Mayorkas. Disposing of the case without a trial, McConnell added in a Senate speech, “would mean running away both from our fundamental responsibility and from the glaring truth of the record-breaking crisis at our southern border.”

Earlier this year, a bipartisan immigration reform bill was floated in the Senate, only to be immediately shot down by Trump. That led to a collapse of support among Republicans for the legislation.