Alejandro Mayorkas impeachment trial: Senators are sworn in as jurors as ... trends now The Senate began Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas' impeachment trial Wednesday afternoon The House GOP-led effort is expected to end quickly as Senate Leader Chuck Schumer said earlier in the day that he will vote to dismiss the charges Senators were sworn in as jurors shortly after 1:30 p.m. Wednesday By Jon Michael Raasch, Political Reporter On Capitol Hill, For Dailymail.Com Published: 18:34 BST, 17 April 2024 | Updated: 19:26 BST, 17 April 2024 Viewcomments Senators were sworn in as jurors in Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas ' impeachment trial Wednesday as Democrats are expected to quickly dismiss charges against Biden’s top border official. Mayorkas is the first Cabinet official to be impeached in nearly 150 years, but the charges against him will be quickly shut down by Democrats because there aren't enough Senate GOP votes to convict him. In total, 67 senators would need to vote to in favor of conviction for Mayorkas to be removed from office. The Senate Pro-Tempore Emeritus, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, swore in the current Senate president pro tempore Patty Murray to preside over the Mayorkas impeachment trial. In a stunning historical moment, every senator raised their hands in unison to be sworn-in as jurors. They then were called in groups of four to sign the oath book. Senators were sworn in as jurors in Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas' impeachment trials shortly after 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday House Republicans voted to impeach Mayorkas in February for high crimes and misdemeanors related to his handling of the U.S. border and for lying to Congress 'A fair trial seeks the truth, nothing more, nothing less. I will not assist Senator Schumer in setting our Constitution ablaze, bulldozing 200 years of precedent. Therefore, I object,' Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., declared on the Senate floor. Republicans claim that Mayorkas' handling of border security has been atrocious, saying an estimated nine million illegal immigrants have entered the U.S. since he first took office. The secretary has also overseen multiple record highs for illegal immigrant apprehensions in 2021, 2022 and 2023. But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has claimed Republicans are playing political games with this impeachment and said he would kill the trial immediately after it begins. 'I will seek an agreement for a period of debate time that would allow Republicans to offer a vote on trial resolutions, allow for Republicans to offer points of order and then move to dismiss,' Schumer said Wednesday. His announcement that he would quickly dismiss the articles all but killed the GOP's hopes for a full trial. House Republicans voted to impeach Mayorkas in February after her 'refused to comply with Federal immigration laws' amid a record surge of migrants and that he has 'breached the public trust' in his claims to Congress that the US-Mexico border is secure. The GOP impeachment managers delivered the physical articles to the upper chamber Tuesday in a dramatic march from the House to the Senate. In two parallel single-file lines the 11 managers marched from the House chamber to the Senate. House impeachment managers walk through the Capitol Tuesday to deliver the articles of impeachment against Mayorkas to the Senate Upon arrival to the Senate, manager Mark Green, R-Tenn., read the charges against Mayorkas aloud. Wednesday afternoon, during the impeachment proceedings, Schumer outlined the ground rules for the trial. The Democrat leader said there will be seven points of order allowed on the first article - which claims Mayorkas broke federal immigration laws - followed by an hour of debate. After, the Senate will be allowed just one point of order on the second charge - that Mayorkas' breached the public's trust - and another hour of debate will ensue. Then the Senate will take a vote on the charges and the court of impeachment will be adjourned. 'It is beneath the dignity of the Senate to entertain this nakedly partisan exercise, one that both conservative and liberal legal scholars agree fails to meet the high standard demanded by impeachment,' Schumer declared on the floor Wednesday before the trial. The impeachment proceedings are ongoing. More to come. Share or comment on this article: Alejandro Mayorkas impeachment trial: Senators are sworn in as jurors as Democrats try and quickly dismiss charges for Biden's border secretary All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility