The Department of Homeland Security hired a New York-based law firm to help in the agency's response to House Republicans submitting articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, along with handling any potential House inquiries.
The DHS announced Friday that it hired the firm of Debevoise & Plimpton in Mayorkas' case. Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, and Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., filed impeachment articles against Mayorkas, citing his inability to protect the United States-Mexico border.
There have also been allegations of Mayorkas lying to Congress, under oath, by misleading lawmakers about the security of the border.
"The Department of Homeland Security has retained outside counsel to help ensure the Department's vital mission is not interrupted by the unprecedented, unjustified, and partisan impeachment efforts by some Members of Congress, who have already taken steps to initiate proceedings," the DHS said in a statement.
"DHS will continue prioritizing its work to protect our country from terrorism, respond to natural disasters, and secure our borders while responding appropriately to the over 70 Congressional committees and subcommittees that have oversight of DHS."
House Republicans have yet to launch formal proceedings to remove Mayorkas. However, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., pledged a lengthy investigation into Mayorkas' conduct since taking over two years ago.
According to The Hill, the DHS doesn't have in-house legal experts on combating an impeachment, thus the hiring Debevoise & Plimpton.
The Hill also reported that impeachment efforts with presidential cabinet members are "exceedingly rare," with the last attempt taking place in 1876, when Secretary of War William Belknap was impeached for accepting kickback payments.
Some House Republicans, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., have previously floated impeachment threats against President Boe Biden and members of his Cabinet.
"Secretary Mayorkas must be impeached," Biggs recently wrote on Twitter. "If we can't impeach him, we can't impeach anybody."
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