In a swift and decisive move, the Senate has voted to dismiss the impeachment charges brought against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The trial, which lasted just three hours, concluded with the Senate's 51-member Democratic majority voting in favor of dismissing both charges as unconstitutional.

Mayorkas, who became the second Cabinet secretary in U.S. history to be impeached, faced allegations of "willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law" and a "breach of public trust." However, Democrats strongly opposed the impeachment effort, arguing that the charges were merely a policy disagreement and fell short of the constitutional threshold for impeachment.

Under the Constitution, the Senate is responsible for holding a trial to determine the guilt and potential removal from office of impeached officials. On Wednesday, senators were sworn in as jurors, with Senator Patty Murray presiding over the trial as the president pro tempore of the chamber.

Despite the Democratic control of the chamber, Senate Republicans called for a comprehensive trial, leading to some attempts to delay the proceedings. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer attempted to move forward by allowing a period of debate after the senators were sworn in, but faced objections from Missouri GOP Senator Eric Schmitt, who accused Schumer of refusing to hold a full trial and "setting our Constitution ablaze."

As a result, Schumer took a different path and asked the senators to vote on a point of order regarding the constitutional threshold for "high crimes and misdemeanors." Senators ultimately voted, in a party-line decision, 51-48 that the first impeachment charge was unconstitutional. The vote on the second article followed a similar pattern, with senators voting 51-49 in favor of its unconstitutionality.

Before the votes, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas argued that Schumer had not presented any evidence to deem the charges unconstitutional. Cruz motioned to move the impeachment trial into a closed session for debate, but the motion fell short.

Despite several attempts by Senate Republicans to delay the trial further, their motions were unsuccessful in the Democratic-controlled chamber.

Following the dismissal of the impeachment articles, Mia Ehrenberg, a DHS spokesperson, released a statement saying that the Senate's decision confirmed that there was no evidence or constitutional grounds to justify the impeachment.

With the trial now concluded, Mayorkas can continue his role as Department of Homeland Security Secretary, as the Senate's decision effectively clears him of the charges brought against him.

Though the outcome was predictable given the Democratic majority, the swift dismissal of the impeachment charges reflects the deep partisan divide within the Senate and the ongoing political battles surrounding the issue of immigration and border security.