US homeland secretary Mayorkas willing to testify in House impeachment inquiry

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is willing to testify before a Republican-led House of Representatives committee trying to impeach him for allegedly encouraging illegal immigration with his policies, a department official said in a letter to the committee on Thursday. The letter - sent to the committee's Republican chairman Mark Green and reviewed by Reuters - said that the Department of Homeland Security is prepared to discuss possible dates for Mayorkas to appear as a witness in the proceedings against him.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is willing to testify before a Republican-led House of Representatives committee trying to impeach him for allegedly encouraging illegal immigration with his policies, a department official said in a letter to the committee on Thursday.

The letter - sent to the committee's Republican chairman Mark Green and reviewed by Reuters - said that the Department of Homeland Security is prepared to discuss possible dates for Mayorkas to appear as a witness in the proceedings against him. Republicans have increasingly focused on illegal immigration in the run-up to Nov. 5 elections that will decide control of the White House and Congress. The party kicked off impeachment proceedings against Mayorkas on Wednesday during a hearing where they blamed him for record levels of migrants attempting to illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border.

Democrats dismissed the hearing as political theater and said Republicans should instead pass a White House proposal that would provide some $14 billion for border management. The House Homeland Security Committee has planned a second impeachment hearing on Jan. 18 and invited Mayorkas to attend. The letter noted that Mayorkas will meet with top Mexican officials next week, raising questions about timing of any testimony.

The letter touts Mayorkas' ongoing conversations with a bipartisan group of senators trying to craft border security legislation, saying he "is working with this group in a good-faith effort to break the gridlock."