DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says he won't resign if impeached

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DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says he won’t resign if impeached

Republicans were forced to shelve the priority after dissensions from a few GOP lawmakers.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas tells Fox News he would not resign if he were to be impeached. 

Mayorkas, 64, made these comments to Fox News’ Matt Finn during a security presser in Las Vegas ahead of the Super Bowl on Sunday. 

"I’ll gladly answer it again. The allegations are baseless and I'm focused on the work, which was what brings me to Las Vegas today," Mayorkas said Wednesday. 

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks to the media about an overview of public safety plans for Super Bowl week at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas on Wednesday. (Candice Ward/Getty Images)

The comments come after a failed push by House Republicans to impeach the DHS secretary over his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border. 

Republicans were forced to shelve the priority after a few GOP lawmakers refused to go along with the party’s plan. 

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The stunning roll call Tuesday fell just a single vote short of impeaching Mayorkas, stalling the Republicans' drive to punish the Biden administration over its handling of the U.S-Mexico border. 

With Democrats united against the charges, the Republicans needed almost every vote from their slim majority to approve the articles of impeachment.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is expected to face a House impeachment vote.

House Speaker Mike Johnson's spokesman Raj Shah said they "fully intend" to reconsider the articles of impeachment against Mayorkas "when we have the votes for passage."

But the next steps are uncertain. In the end, three Republicans opposed the impeachment, and a fourth Republican switched his vote so that the measure could be revisited. The final tally was 214-216.

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Not since 1876 has a Cabinet secretary faced impeachment charges, and it's the first time a sitting secretary faced impeachment — 148 years ago, Secretary of War William Belknap resigned just before the vote.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.