Abbott responds to Mayorkas' blame game as top Democrat on panel probing impeachment declares it 'baseless'
Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, the top Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee who also ran the January 6 hearings, called the impeachment 'baseless'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott responded Wednesday to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas publicly blaming him for the migrant-fueled crises in urban areas like New York and Washington.
Abbott, who noted he is now being sued by the Biden administration for attempting to secure his state's border in the alleged absence of the federal government doing its job in that regard, dismissed Mayorkas' claims out of hand.
Earlier Wednesday, Mayorkas responded to complaints from New York Democratic Mayor Eric Adams over the lack of federal migrant assistance, telling former Rep. Joe Scarborough, R-Fla. on MSNBC that "we have one governor in the state of Texas who is refusing to cooperate with other governors and other local officials."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Hannity" host Sean Hannity noted to Abbott on his program Wednesday that Mayorkas has also blamed climate change for the migrant crisis.
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"The only climate that's changed is the refusal to enforce the immigration laws of the United States. You saw what happened four years ago when we had the lowest illegal immigration in 40 years. And that's because President Trump put in place… the Remain in Mexico policy, the Title 42 policy, ended catch-and-release and buil[t] the border wall," Abbott replied.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}After noting Biden and Mayorkas reversed Trump's policies, Abbott said Texas has been the only government to take the mantle of border security and act on it, whether it be adding razor wire on the border, or stringing buoys down the Rio Grande to rebuff illegal immigration.
Both security measures are currently under federal scrutiny.
Abbott said the problem lies not with his response to the crisis, but the Biden administration's failure to respond in the nation's own interest, adding that Democratic mayors like Adams need to "wake up to the reality" that they'll continue to face problems until federal laws are properly enforced by DHS.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}IMPEACHMENT PROCESS THE BEST WAY TO HOLD MAYORKAS, BIDEN ACCOUNTABLE: STEPHEN MILLER
The governor further claimed Adams as well as mayors in Denver, Chicago and cities in California have revealed their "sanctuary city" hypocrisy – in that they will proclaim the merits of the policy until they have to enforce it.
His remarks came shortly after the House Homeland Security Committee, led by Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., scheduled an impeachment hearing for January 10.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Green told Fox News Digital his panel's investigation made clear the crisis "finds its foundation in Secretary Mayorkas' decision-making and refusal to enforce the laws passed by Congress."
However, Green's opposite number on the committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, blasted the impeachment as a "stunt" lacking Constitutional grounding.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Thompson, who notably led the House January 6 Committee hearings, claimed in a statement obtained by New York City broadcaster NY1 that nothing Green put forward "changed the fact the extreme MAGA Republicans' effort to impeach Secretary Mayorkas is completely baseless."
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., first launched impeachment articles in November, putting forth a resolution "impeaching Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, for high crimes and misdemeanors."
Fox News' Adam Shaw and Houston Keene contributed to this report.