Kevin McCarthy threatens Biden's DHS secretary with impeachment if he refuses to resign: 'He cannot and must not remain in that position'

On Tuesday, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy called on Biden's Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to step down from his position over the immigration crisis at the southern border, Fox News Digital reported. McCarthy added that if Mayorkas refuses to resign voluntarily, House Republicans will attempt to launch an impeachment inquiry next year.

During a press conference in El Paso, McCarthy blamed Mayorkas for the "great[est] wave of illegal immigration in recorded history." He added, "This is why today I am calling on the secretary to resign."

"He cannot and must not remain in that position," McCarthy continued. "If Secretary Mayorkas does not resign, House Republicans will investigate every order, every action and every failure to determine whether we can begin an impeachment inquiry."

McCarthy previously told Fox News Digital that if he becomes the next House speaker, he will hold congressional hearings at the southern border to force Democrats to witness the migrant crisis firsthand.

"The American public deserves more, deserves better and expects more within their government. Enough is enough. We will do whatever it takes," McCarthy said.

Mayorkas has repeatedly insisted that the southern border is "secure" despite the overwhelming numbers of border crossings reported by Customs and Border Protection.

According to CBP data, there were more than 1,700,000 migrant encounters at the border in the fiscal year 2021 and more than 2,300,000 in the fiscal year 2022, a 37% increase. Last month alone, there were approximately 230,000 encounters.

The Border Patrol reported that every day, there are an estimated 2,500 "gotaways," or immigrants who were seen crossing the border into the United States but who managed to evade law enforcement and have not been processed.

During a Senate hearing last week, Mayorkas told lawmakers that the migrant crisis is not unique to America's southern border.

"The entire hemisphere is suffering a migration crisis," claimed Mayorkas. "We are seeing an unprecedented movement of people from country to country. It is not restricted to the southern border."

In a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation, the Department of Homeland Security said, "Secretary Mayorkas is proud to advance the noble mission of this Department, support its extraordinary workforce, and serve the American people. The Department will continue our work to enforce our laws and secure our border, while building a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system."

"Members of Congress can do better than point the finger at someone else; they should come to the table and work on solutions for our broken system and outdated laws, which have not been overhauled in over 40 years," the department added.