US Senate's Schumer moves to dismiss impeachment of Biden's top border official

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has made immigration a centerpiece of his presidential campaign against Biden. Immediately after the swearing in of the 100 senators to be jurors in a trial to judge Mayorkas' guilt or innocence, Schumer proposed a truncated schedule for debating the charges, without holding a full-blown trial.

Democratic U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday moved to dismiss the first of two articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden's top border official, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Mayorkas was charged in February by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives with failing to enforce the nation's immigration laws and lying to Congress -- charges he denies. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has made immigration a centerpiece of his presidential campaign against Biden.

Immediately after the swearing in of the 100 senators to be jurors in a trial to judge Mayorkas' guilt or innocence, Schumer proposed a truncated schedule for debating the charges, without holding a full-blown trial. Republicans objected and Schumer then made a move to dismiss the first of the two charges, saying, "impeachment Article 1 does not allege conduct that rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor."

Republicans, fighting to block the move, then put the Senate into a procedural holding pattern. Democrats hold a 51-49 majority in the chamber Next steps were unclear.

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." Republicans have prepared an assault on any move to dismiss the charges without a trial. Even with a trial, it is unlikely there are enough votes to convict Mayorkas, which would strip him of his job.

Republicans were expected to resort to a series of procedural moves that would take time for senators to work their way through. 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.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)