House Democrats are set to open an investigation into Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem as early as next week, laying the groundwork for a push to impeach her.
Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) confirmed Tuesday that Democrats would launch an impeachment investigation if Noem is not fired before the House returns next week.
“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,” Jeffries said in a joint statement with Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Massachusetts) and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-California). “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
Unlike a typical congressional impeachment inquiry, Democrats plan to conduct their investigation without the majority party, citing the reluctance of Republicans to conduct robust oversight of the Trump administration and the unlikelihood of GOP support for impeaching a Cabinet official.
Democrats acknowledge they are unlikely to remove Noem in the short term, but they say that launching an official investigation will signal they are taking seriously concerns about what has transpired during a deadly immigration crackdown in Minnesota in recent weeks.
“We understand Democrats are in a minority, but that doesn’t mean that we have to sit on our thumbs and do nothing,” Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (Mississippi), the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, said in an interview. He said the investigation, and possibly an impeachment vote, is “a step in the process of letting people know that we don’t like what we see.”
DHS officials have been dismissive of calls by Democrats to impeach Noem. In a statement this week, spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the party is “more focused on showmanship and fundraising clicks than actually removing criminals from our streets.”
“We hope these members get serious about doing their job to protect American people, which is what this Department is doing under Secretary Noem,” McLaughlin added.
Calls from Democrats to hold Noem accountable have rapidly accelerated following the death of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, at the hands of Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis on Saturday. The death has amplified outrage expressed by the party since Renée Good, another 37-year-old U.S. citizen, was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent earlier this month.
Several Democrats expressed their desire to impeach Noem on a caucus call Sunday, a demand that received no pushback, according to multiple people familiar with the call who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private conversation.
As of early Tuesday evening, more than 160 House Democrats had signed on to a resolution by Rep. Robin Kelly (Illinois) calling for Noem’s impeachment. That number has jumped by more than 50 since Saturday’s fatal shooting.
While Democratic leaders have cautioned against forcing an immediate vote on the resolution, the support underscores the party’s lack of confidence in Noem’s ability to continue to do her job — and willingness to publicly speak out about her potential removal.
Most notably to leadership, several House Democrats representing swing districts who supported a bill fundingDHS last week have called for Noem to leave her post.
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Washington) said this week that Noem “needs to step down,” while Rep. Laura Gillen (D-New York) forcefully demanded that she be “impeached immediately.”
In an email sent to his campaign list, Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-New York) expressed regret over his funding vote, stating that he “failed to view the DHS funding vote as a referendum on the illegal and immoral conduct of ICE in Minneapolis.”
Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-New Mexico), who represents a swing district, signed onto the resolution to impeach Noem, noting that his office lines have been flooded with constituent calls asking that he support such actions.
“Not every issue draws that level of attention, and I think people are horrified, especially after watching the latest video at what is happening, what the state of America is,” Vasquez said in an interview. “We don’t have to see anymore. We have seen her failed leadership.”
Last month, during a push by a Democratic member to impeach President Donald Trump, Jeffries and his leadership team made clear their strong preference to conduct investigations before articles of impeachment are invoked on the House floor.
The new move to launch such investigations will allow Democrats to gather evidence to build a case against Noem and other DHS officials. Thompson said the process would also help craft legislation next year to reform the department if Democrats win back the House majority in November. It would also inform how Democrats either update Kelly’s impeachment resolution or write new articles to introduce based on the evidence they find.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland) implored House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) to begin impeachment proceedings against Noem, but acknowledged that if Republicans do not act, he will lead Judiciary Democrats in joining with the Homeland and Oversight and Government Reform committees to “launch a complete oversight and impeachment inquiry into all potential constitutional crimes.” He also noted that the committees will build on Kelly’s impeachment resolution “through fact-finding, public hearings, and committee reports detailing all of Secretary Noem’s potential high crimes and misdemeanors and take our case to the American people.”
The House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, the messaging arm for House Democrats, urged lawmakers this week to join “Fire Noem” rallies in their district this week, as well as a “Protect Our Communities from DHS Brutality Day of Action” on Tuesday. In a memo to Democrats, the group suggested using the words “remove” or “fire” Noem when talking to constituents since an impeachment vote is not imminent.
“Donald Trump and Kristi Noem said that their immigration enforcement would focus on violent felons. They lied,” the memo said. “Secretary Noem is responsible for DHS’ deadly misconduct and targeting of American citizens, in addition to spreading outright lies about these murders and their victims. Noem must resign or be fired immediately.”
Democrats recognize that successfully impeaching Noem in a GOP-led Congress is unlikely, but they say that putting Republicans on the record this year may be politically beneficial given polls have shown that a majority of Americans say that DHS agents are going too far in attempts to apprehend undocumented migrants.
Even if House Democrats were to succeed in impeaching Noem — an outcome that would require just a few Republican votes in the closely divided chamber — a GOP-led Senate is unlikely to convict and remove her from office.
Moreover, calls for impeachment aren’t resonating in the Senate.
Only Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada) has called for impeaching Noem for what she described as the secretary’s “latest attempt to mislead the American public regarding the brutal and unjustified killing of Alex Pretti.”
A spokesman for Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), who voted to confirm Noem to the post, said that though he is “deeply disappointed” in Noem, impeachment “is a question for the House.”
“Unless it acts, the Senate should insist upon major DHS restrictions in the pending appropriations bill and keep challenging the President’s economic chaos, health care cuts and unnecessary wars,” the spokesman added.
Though Senate Republicans are not calling for Noem’s impeachment, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, called top immigration enforcement officials on Monday, including from ICE and Border Patrol, to testify before the panel next month.
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Andrew R. Garbarino (R-New York) issued a similar request on Saturday and announced Tuesday that DHS officials will testify before the panel in February.
Thompson said that investigating DHS “can’t wait” for a hearing several weeks from now.
“Look, I appreciate what you’re doing, but time is of the essence,” Thompson said. “I know of no greater crisis facing our country domestically than the conduct of ICE toward American citizens. ICE should not be at war with American citizens.”
Marianne LeVine contributed to this report.
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