U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem looks on before the start of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on oversight of the Department of Homeland Security at the Capitol on March 3, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images
Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Tuesday slammed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for the fatal shooting of two people by Homeland Security law enforcement officers during an immigration raid in Minneapolis.
“A mistake was made,” Grassley said in his opening remarks. “Let me be clear: One death is one too many. But police officers should never be intimidated or put in harm’s way while enforcing the law.”
Noem will appear before a Congressional committee for the first time since the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Preti at the hands of federal agents. Noem’s appearance Tuesday is the first of two this week. She is scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
Funding for DHS expired last month, and Democrats have previously refused to support spending bills, citing dissatisfaction with the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics. Thanks to last year’s huge tax and spending bill, DHS still has billions of dollars at its disposal to continue some programs.
Congressional Democrats have harshly criticized Noem’s leadership of DHS. Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., introduced articles of impeachment against Noem in January after federal agents killed Good and Preti.
The hearing was attended by friends and family members of those detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They held signs and shouted at Noem as she took her seat in a Senate committee room on Tuesday.
Another protester, who identified himself as a former employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, part of DHS, interrupted Noem’s testimony and was forcibly removed from the room.
“Under your leadership, the Department of Homeland Security lacked a moral compass and respect for the rule of law,” Senate Judiciary Leader Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said during the hearing. “Without hesitation or remorse, DHS employees wreaked havoc in our cities and committed unspeakable atrocities against children, immigrant families, and the American people.”
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