In a surprising turn of events, the House vote to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas fell short on Tuesday evening, dealing a blow to House Republicans who had made it a key political goal. The vote tally ended at 214-216, with three Republicans breaking ranks with their party and joining Democrats in voting against the resolution.

Colorado Representative Ken Buck, Wisconsin Representative Mike Gallagher, and California Representative Tom McClintock defected from the Republican position and voted against the impeachment resolution. GOP Representative Blake Moore also joined the opposition to allow the House GOP another chance to bring up the vote in the future.

The narrow margins in the House meant that Republicans could only afford to lose a few votes. However, last-minute absences and defections from the Republican ranks made it impossible to gather enough support in time for the vote on Tuesday night.

This failed attempt to impeach Mayorkas highlights the challenges faced by House Speaker Mike Johnson and the Republican conference as they navigate a slim majority with varying opinions. House Republicans have accused Mayorkas of committing high crimes and misdemeanors in his handling of the southern border, although constitutional experts have stated that the evidence does not meet the required threshold.

The push for impeachment comes as House Republicans face mounting pressure from their base to hold the Biden administration accountable for its handling of the border issue. However, in contrast to their counterparts in the Senate, House Republicans have not found success in working with Democrats to pass meaningful changes to immigration law.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who is currently undergoing cancer treatments, is not expected to return to the House, while another GOP member had to leave due to a family emergency. It remains uncertain if this member will be able to return in time for future votes.

Meanwhile, House Democrats are also dealing with one absence among their ranks. House GOP Majority Whip Tom Emmer expressed confidence on Monday that Republicans had enough votes to impeach Mayorkas, but this confidence proved to be misplaced.

Chairman Mark Green of the House Homeland Security Committee, who has spearheaded the impeachment effort, has been engaging with GOP holdouts ahead of the vote, aiming to sway their position.

Legal scholars have cast doubt on the legal arguments put forth by Republicans in support of impeachment. Notably, constitutional law expert Jonathan Turley, who has been called as a witness in hearings by Republicans, along with former DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff and 25 law professors, all contend that the evidence against Mayorkas does not rise to the level of impeachment.

Mayorkas himself, while meeting with staff in Mountain View, California, released a letter defending his record in public service. He acknowledged the long-standing problems with the immigration system and called on Congress to provide a legislative solution to address the issue. Mayorkas praised the bipartisan group of senators he has worked with in their efforts to find solutions at the border.

The Department of Homeland Security strongly criticized House Republicans over the impeachment inquiry, stating that it is a distraction from other vital national security priorities. The DHS labeled the probe a "farce," arguing that there are no high crimes or misdemeanors and accusing the process of being "cynical and hypocritical."

On the Democratic side, they have consistently denounced the Republican efforts to impeach Mayorkas, calling it a sham. The White House issued a statement condemning the resolution as an "unprecedented and unconstitutional act of political retribution," asserting that it would do nothing to solve the challenges of securing the border.

Although the House GOP's attempt to impeach Mayorkas followed an investigative phase, where the Homeland Security Committee held hearings and conducted interviews, they moved forward with impeachment articles without giving the secretary an opportunity to testify. This departure from the typical impeachment process drew attention.

Overall, while House Republicans have been investigating Mayorkas for months, the momentum for impeachment grew recently as a surge of migrant crossings at the southern border put pressure on swing-district Republicans to consider the idea. However, the failed vote indicates the difficulty facing Republicans in achieving their goal of impeaching Mayorkas.