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National Security Leaders Urge Congress to Focus on Border, Immigration Solutions — Not Mayorkas Impeachment

Washington, D.C. — Today in a letter to Congress, 26 national security leaders who served in Republican and Democratic administrations expressed concerns over the potential impeachment of Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and urged legislators to focus on solutions to address border and migration challenges.  

“Initiating such proceedings not only threatens to undermine national security but sets a perilous precedent that could have dire implications for the stability of our government,” the former officials say in the letter, addressed to the chairman and ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee. “Impeaching Secretary Mayorkas would only serve to distract from the pressing need to implement effective policy solutions to rectify our immigration system and fortify America’s national security.” 

The group, including many Council on National Security and Immigration leaders, argued that a partisan impeachment will make it more difficult to address migration’s root causes and to improve the functionality of the Department of Homeland Security. Instead, the leaders call on Republicans and Democrats to collaborate on “solutions that strengthen our borders, treat migrants with dignity, and reduce backlogs that delay decisions on asylum claims, legal immigration petitions, and other cases and applications.”

“The way to provide security and order is for Republicans and Democrats to negotiate solutions, not to engage in political theater clearly designed for an election season,” said signatory Elizabeth Neumann, former DHS Assistant Secretary for Threat Prevention and Security Policy in the Trump administration. “The men and women of the Department of Homeland Security, up to and including Secretary Mayorkas, should be able to focus 100% of their attention on keeping America safe.”

“We agree with these national security experts. Congress’ attention should be on solutions to our border and immigration challenges,” said Jennie Murray, President and CEO of the National Immigration Forum. “The current global migration trend requires balanced policies rather than actions that divide and polarize.” 

Signatories of the letter include: 

Jayson Ahern, Former Commissioner (A), U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Ross Ashley, Former Assistant Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency

Thomas Atkin, Former Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Transborder Security, National Security Council

Douglas Baker, Former Special Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Senior Director for Border and Transportation Security Policy

Alan Bersin, Former Assistant Secretary for Policy and International Affairs, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

William Booher, Former Public Affairs Director, Federal Emergency Management Agency

Ed Cash, Former Director, Intergovernmental Affairs, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Gus Coldebella, Former Deputy and Acting General Counsel, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Gil Kerlikowske, Former Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Prakash Khatri, Former Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Admiral James M. Loy, Former Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

David A. Martin, Former Deputy and Acting General Counsel, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Lynden Melmed, Former Chief Counsel, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Hans Miller, Former Deputy Assistant Administrator for Policy, Transportation Security Administration

Robert Mocny, Former Senior Executive, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Michael Neifach, Former Principal Legal Advisor, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Elizabeth Neumann, Former Assistant Secretary for Threat Prevention and Security Policy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Leon Rodriguez, Former Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

W. Price Roe, Former Counselor to the Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Paul Rosenzweig, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Seth Stodder, Former Assistant Secretary for Borders, Immigration & Trade Policy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

C. Stewart Verdery, Jr., Former Assistant Secretary for Border and Transportation Security Policy and Planning, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Dave West, Former Advisor, International Affairs, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Jim Williams, Former Director, US-VISIT, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Julie Myers Wood, Former Assistant Secretary, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

James Ziglar, Former Commissioner, Immigration and Naturalization Service

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