House Republican leaders faced a challenging task on Tuesday as they worked to gather enough support within their caucus to pass a bill for the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. With a slim margin of three votes that they can afford to lose, the Republicans encountered early setbacks with two confirmed 'no' votes and several undecided members.

The impeachment effort, led by the GOP, alleges that Mayorkas intentionally failed to fulfill his official responsibilities in securing the U.S. southern border. However, the reasons for opposition to the impeachment varied among House Republicans. Rep. Ken Buck from Colorado expressed his lean towards a 'no' vote, emphasizing that policy differences, even if they lead to unfavorable outcomes, are not sufficient grounds for impeachment. Similarly, Rep. Tom McClintock from California voiced his opposition, releasing a 10-page memo explaining his decision to vote against the impeachment resolution.

By early Tuesday afternoon, a procedural vote to begin debate on the Mayorkas impeachment resolution had passed, but six members had missed the vote, including three Republicans and three Democrats. The Republicans, with 219 seats and three vacancies, are pitted against the Democrats' 212 seats and one vacancy. It is crucial for the House Republicans to secure one more 'no' vote to prevent the impeachment from moving forward.

The allegations against Mayorkas stem from accusations of intentional disobedience of federal immigration laws and obstructing oversight of the Homeland Security Department, particularly in light of the significant influx of migrants crossing the U.S. southern border in recent months. If the House votes to impeach Mayorkas, he would become the second cabinet member in U.S. history to face impeachment, the first since 1876.

However, even if the House were to vote in favor of impeachment, the trial would subsequently move to the Democrat-controlled Senate. Given the current political landscape and the requirement of a two-thirds majority to remove Mayorkas from office, it is considered unlikely that the Senate would reach such a threshold.

President Joe Biden has consistently denounced the impeachment effort, labeling it as a political maneuver. In a statement issued on Monday, Biden criticized the trivialization of the constitutional power of impeachment, urging the House to address challenges through legislative means instead. He awaits the passage of a $118 billion bipartisan border security bill, which is scheduled for a vote in the Senate on Wednesday.

This is an ongoing story, and further updates will follow as the situation develops.