In a surprising turn of events, Speaker Mike Johnson has announced a delay in sending the House's articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate this week, as previously planned. Republican senators requested more time on Tuesday to build support for holding a full trial, casting fresh doubts on the proceedings, which would mark the first impeachment of a Cabinet secretary in approximately 150 years.

The impeachment of Mayorkas by House Republicans took place in February, with the aim of rebuking the Biden administration's handling of the southern border. However, the articles were held back while the House worked on government funding legislation. Johnson had intended to send the impeachment charges to the Senate on Wednesday evening, but the request by Senate Republicans for a delay until next week, in the hopes of prolonging the process, caused a change in plans.

The move by Senate Republicans has sparked some debate, as most of them had voted to dismiss the charges against former President Donald Trump during his second impeachment trial, where he faced charges of inciting the insurrection on January 6, 2021. Despite their efforts, the trial proceeded, and Trump was eventually acquitted.

While arguments were made on Tuesday by Republicans in favor of a full Senate trial, the majority of whom voted against such a trial for Trump, Senate Republicans requested more time in order to have an opportunity to debate and vote on issues they want to raise. Senate rules dictate that jurors must convene the day after the articles of impeachment are transmitted for a trial.

According to Johnson's spokesman, Taylor Haulsee, the delay is justified as the Senate shouldn't abdicate its responsibility to hold an impeachment trial. In response, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reaffirmed that Democrats plan to deal with the charges quickly, sticking to their original plan.

The two articles of impeachment brought against Mayorkas by House Republicans accuse him of refusing to enforce existing law and breaching the public trust by lying to Congress about the border's security. Democrats, along with a few Republicans, argue that these charges amount to a policy dispute rather than meeting the constitutional criteria of high crimes and misdemeanors.

Senator Mitt Romney expressed uncertainty about his vote on the Senate's process but highlighted that Mayorkas has done a poor job, attributing it to following the president's direction. Romney emphasized that the constitutional test of a high crime or misdemeanor has not been met.

With the upcoming elections, Republicans aim to keep the Biden administration's handling of the southern border in the spotlight for as long as possible. They believe it is the primary concern for Americans and anticipate some Democrats trying to avoid voting on the matter.

In contrast, Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat facing a tough reelection bid in Ohio, referred to the impeachment trial as a distraction and questioned why a bipartisan border deal was not taking precedence.

This impeachment of Mayorkas marks a rare occurrence, as only one U.S. cabinet official, Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876, had ever been impeached. Belknap faced allegations of receiving kickback payments while overseeing government contracts. Although Belknap resigned before the trial, the Senate still proceeded with the trial, but none of the five impeachment charges against him gathered the required two-thirds majority for conviction.