House Democratic leaders on Tuesday threatened to begin impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem unless President Donald Trump first removes her from office.
Noem has come under increasing pressure in recent days over her comments following the shooting death of American citizen Alex Preti by federal agents in Minneapolis on Saturday.
“The violence perpetrated against the American people by the Department of Homeland Security must end immediately,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar said in a statement.
“Kristi Noem must be removed from office immediately or we will begin impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives,” the statement said.
“You can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
Immediately after Preti’s murder, Noem claimed that she “brandished” a weapon and responded “violently” to officers who tried to disarm her. These claims were later refuted by video evidence and analysis from multiple news outlets.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York cited Noem’s comments about Preti on the Senate floor on Tuesday, joining President Trump’s calls for Noem to be fired.
“Kristi Noem is a liar, she’s vicious, and she’s incompetent. Donald Trump must fire her immediately before another American is killed on her watch,” Schumer said.
When asked by a White House reporter Tuesday if Noem was leaving office, Trump said “no.”
President Trump told reporters before his scheduled visit to Iowa that Noem is “doing a very good job.”
“DHS is right to enforce the laws that Congress passes, and if certain members don’t like those laws, it’s literally their job to change them,” Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in an emailed statement.
“While ICE agents face a staggering 1,300% spike in assaults, too many politicians defend criminals and want to attack the men and women who enforce our nation’s laws. It is time to focus on protecting the American people, which is the work our department does every day under Secretary Noem’s leadership,” McLaughlin’s statement continued.
The warning by House Democrats comes as a partial government shutdown looms amid concerns over DHS funding.
“The Trump administration has weaponized taxpayer dollars to murder Americans, brutalize communities, and violently target law-abiding immigrant families. The nation is disgusted by the actions of the Department of Homeland Security,” the leaders said in a statement.
The House passed a more than $1.2 trillion spending package last week that includes funding for DHS and other agencies. But the Senate has until 12:01 a.m. Saturday to pass the bill and keep the government fully funded.
The killing of Preti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, has sparked outrage among Senate Democrats, who are demanding the DHS bill be removed from a larger spending package in exchange for a vote.
Democratic support for the spending bill is needed to clear the 60-vote filibuster in the Senate.
“Senate Democrats have made it clear that they stand ready to move quickly on five spending bills separate from the DHS funding bill by the January 30 deadline,” Schumer said in a statement Monday.
“The onus is on Leader Thune and Senate Republicans to prevent a partial government shutdown,” Schumer said. “If Majority Leader John Thune puts these five bills on the table this week, they will pass quickly. If not, Republicans will be responsible for another government shutdown.”
President Trump and the White House appeared to soften the administration’s stance on Mr. Preti this week, reversing previous statements by Trump’s Homeland Security Adviser Stephen Miller and other administration officials that labeled her a “domestic terrorist.”
“No one in the White House, including President Trump, wants to see people hurt or killed on America’s streets,” White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt said at a press briefing Monday.
Still, tensions remain high following the deaths of Preti and Renee Nicole Good, who were killed by federal agents in Minneapolis this month.
DHS recently launched an immigration enforcement investigation in Minnesota, sending federal agents to the state in response to the ongoing Social Services fraud scandal targeting thousands of refugees.
Minnesota officials and congressional Democrats have slammed DHS and ICE’s tactics, and some congressional Republicans have also called for increased oversight.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Monday called on the heads of ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to testify before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which he chairs.
He called for an “independent investigation” into the shooting.
“Local police departments routinely place officers involved in shootings on leave until an independent investigation is completed. They should do so immediately. I don’t recall ever hearing a police chief immediately describe the victims as ‘domestic terrorists’ or ‘would-be assassins,'” Paul said in a post on X on Tuesday.
“At the very least, an independent investigation is required to restore peace,” he wrote.
Officials from ICE, CPB, and USCIS agreed Tuesday to testify at a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on Feb. 10.
