Rep. Mike Gallagher recognizes that we face an unprecedented immigration catastrophe, but he is wrong in asserting that it isn’t appropriate for the House of Representatives to respond by impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (“Why I Voted Against Impeaching Alejandro Mayorkas,” op-ed, Feb. 8).

President Biden can’t push forward his immigration agenda without a homeland-security secretary willing to abuse the powers of his department and violate the laws he took an oath to uphold. It is no excuse that Mr. Mayorkas is carrying out the president’s agenda.

Mr. Mayorkas isn’t accused of incompetence or “maladministration,” and his actions aren’t mere policy disputes or matters of enforcement discretion. The articles of impeachment detail widespread and deliberate violations of law and breaches of public trust. Mr. Mayorkas has blown through the limits of his enforcement discretion, and it is the House’s constitutional duty to respond.

This type of gross misconduct and abuse of authority is precisely what the Founders envisioned as impeachable offenses. There is no comparison to the strained and politicized impeachment charges advanced against former President Donald Trump.

Impeaching Mr. Mayorkas, though an extraordinary action, wouldn’t lower the constitutional bar or create a precedent for “perpetual impeachment” of future cabinet officers. Indeed, his example is so flagrant, and his unlawful actions so harmful to our security and the rule of law, that if the House fails to respond, there may be little left of the impeachment power.