Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen has called for the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, saying he believes she attempted to “mislead the American public” about the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old protester in Minneapolis.
Rosen’s call comes as Democrats have escalated their criticism of the Department of Homeland Security and the role of ICE, and as they have vowed to block Homeland Security funding, congressional Democrats said as the pressure builds inside Washington.
In a statement to The Associated Press, Rosen said Noem has been an “abject failure leading the Department of Homeland Security for the last year — and the abuses of power we’re seeing from ICE are the latest proof that she has lost control over her own department and staff.” Rosen added that Noem’s conduct is “deeply shameful” and “must be impeached and removed from office immediately.”
A House resolution to launch impeachment proceedings against Noem has support of more than 100 Democrats, AP reported, though few Senate Democrats had so far weighed in publicly. Even as impeachment is seen as unlikely in the GOP-controlled Congress, Democrats’ anger tied to violence in Minneapolis is expected to complicate Senate Republican plans to approve a wide-ranging spending bill quickly and avoid a partial government shutdown on Jan. 30.
The impeachment push also follows Noem’s public defense of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol agent. AP reported that Noem defended the shooting quickly, without a full investigation, and that videos reviewed by AP appear to contradict Trump administration statements that shots were fired “defensively” as Pretti “approached.”
AP reported that Pretti was licensed to carry a concealed weapon, but that the videos appear to show him with only a phone in his hand. During the scuffle, agents discovered that he was carrying a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and opened fire with several shots, including into his back, AP reported. Officials did not say if Pretti brandished the weapon.
Noem said Pretti showed up to “impede a law enforcement operation.” She also said, “This looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement,” according to AP.
Rosen’s statement also pointed to other disputes involving Noem and the department. Rosen cited what he said was a violation of the public trust involving taxpayer spending on self promotion and cited reports that the Coast Guard purchased Noem’s two luxury jets worth $172 million, AP reported.
Rosen’s call followed remarks by Sen. Ed Markey, another Democratic senator, who AP reported said Congress should begin impeachment proceedings against Noem. Markey said last week that Noem is “right now actually orchestrating on the streets of our country this almost vigilantism on the part of ICE agents terrorizing cities all across the country.” AP also reported that some Democrats stopped short of calling for impeachment, but said they would oppose Homeland Security funding.
Several senators who voted with Rosen last year to reopen the government said they would vote against the department’s funding even if it led to a shutdown, AP reported. Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto said that DHS is “brutalizing U.S. citizens and law-abiding immigrants,” and Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine said, “we are not living in normal times.”
Republicans, meanwhile, called for a thorough investigation of the shooting, including Sens. Thom Tillis and Bill Cassidy, AP reported, as administration officials defended the incident.
In the House, calls for impeachment have also grown, AP reported. The article said House Democrats increased their pressure after a phone call with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison, according to a person familiar with the private call who requested anonymity. AP reported that most House Democrats who spoke during the meeting called for Noem’s impeachment.
New York Rep. Laura Gillen, a Democrat, said Sunday there must be accountability and that Noem must be impeached immediately. She wrote, “there must be accountability, which is why Secretary Noem must be impeached immediately.” Gillen also said Noem is “not focused on safety or border security; she’s focused on chaos and self-promotion, undermining local law enforcement and stoking violence as a result,” in a post on X, AP reported.