Calls are mounting for the Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem to step aside after two shooting deaths in Minneapolis.
Noem’s brash leadership style and remarks in the aftermath of the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in which she suggested Pretti “attacked” officers and portrayed the events leading up to Good’s shooting an “act of domestic terrorism,” have been seen as doing irreparable damage, as events on the ground disputed her account.
Top House Democratic Reps. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Pete Aguilar of California said in a joint statement, “The country is disgusted by what the Department of Homeland Security has done.”
“The violence unleashed on the American people by the Department of Homeland Security must end forthwith. Kristi Noem should be fired immediately, or we will commence impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives. We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, and his two deputies, Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar
The ultimatum from Democrats came after a majority of the House caucus signed on to articles of impeachment introduced earlier in the month in response to the shooting death of Renee Good, who, like Pretti, was a US citizen killed by federal agents during the increasingly violent immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota’s largest city.
An increasing number of Democratic Senators from across the spectrum have also joined in the calls for Noem’s ouster.
Earlier, John Fetterman, a moderate Democratic senator representing Pennsylvania, who has signaled skepticism with the party’s strategy on homeland security funding, wrote to Trump on X with “a direct appeal to immediately fire” Noem.
“Americans have died. She is betraying DHS’s core mission and trashing your border security legacy.
“DO NOT make the mistake President Biden made for not firing a grossly incompetent DHS Secretary.”
John Fetterman
This was in reference to Alejandro Mayorkas, whom Republicans blame for the large number of border crossings during the Democrat’s presidency.
Jacky Rosen, a moderate Nevada Senator who narrowly won re-election in 2024 even as Trump clinched her state’s electoral votes, called Noem “an abject failure.”
“She’s either too incompetent to rein in the agency under her purview, or she endorses the blatant constitutional violations being committed. She must be impeached and removed from office immediately.”
Jacky Rosen
The Republican-led Senate judiciary committee on Monday announced that Noem will testify on 3 March, prompting its Democratic ranking member, Dick Durbin, to say, “Secretary Noem refused to appear before the Senate judiciary committee last year and now tells us that she will be available in five weeks – should she still be DHS Secretary at that time.”
However, in a sign of mounting frustration with the DHS Secretary, two Republican Senators also called on Noem to resign.
The retiring North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis told reporters that Noem’s conduct “should be disqualifying,” while Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski said that the Secretary “needs to be accountable to the chaos and some of the tragedy that we have seen.”
“I think the President needs to look at who he has in place as a secretary of Homeland Security. It probably is time for her to step down.”
Lisa Murkowski
Other Republicans, however, have said they would favor new guidelines or “policy changes” at the homeland security department and a review of Pretti’s killing.
In the Senate, Democrats have vowed to block a measure funding the homeland security department because it includes money for ICE.
Republicans have refused to separate that bill from five other measures to fund government operations, raising the possibility of a partial shutdown after Friday, when the current spending authorizations expire.
Trump Defends Noem
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump defended Noem at multiple junctures, strongly indicating her job does not appear to be in immediate jeopardy.
Asked by reporters as he left the White House on Tuesday for a trip to Iowa whether Noem is going to step down, Trump remarked, “No.”
Pressed later during an interview if he had confidence in Noem, the US President said, “I do.”
“Who closed up the border? She did, with Tom Homan, with the whole group. I mean, they’ve closed up the border. The border is a tremendous success.”
Donald Trump
As Democrats in Congress threaten to shut down the government as they demand restrictions on Trump’s mass deportation agenda, Noem’s future at the department faces serious questions and concerns.
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