After Fatal ICE Shooting, Democrats Rally Around Impeaching Kristi Noem

WASHINGTON — House Democrats are piling onto an effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after this week’s fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by an ICE agent.

It’s not likely to work, as Republicans control the House and have no appetite to go after a member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet. But it’s a message that will certainly resonate with Americans outraged not just by Noem trying to gaslight people about the incident, but also by the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to flood Democrat-run cities with masked federal immigration agents whom local residents say have brought fear and violence. The Trump administration argues the surges of federal agents are necessary to remove criminals from the country, though many of the people detained or deported have no criminal record.

Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) announced Wednesday, the same day as the Minneapolis shooting, that she is filing three articles of impeachment against Noem. She accuses the homeland security secretary of obstruction of Congress, violation of public trust and self-dealing.

“It’s one thing to be incompetent and dangerous,” Kelly said in a statement, “but it’s impeachable to break the rule of law.”

Members of Congress who have since joined her effort include Reps. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.), Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) and Brad Schneider (D-Ill.).

“To those of you that are continuing to provide cover for this lawless, unconstitutional, abusive and violent administration, shame on you,” Stansbury said Friday morning on the House floor, her voice cracking. “I will be joining to file articles of impeachment against Secretary Noem. Enough is enough.”

A DHS spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Democrats calling for Noem’s impeachment.

Some Democrats have already been sounding alarms about Noem breaking laws prior to the Minneapolis shooting.

Last month, Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) urged the leaders of the House Judiciary Committee to launch an investigation into what she called Noem’s “potentially impeachable actions.” She accuses Noem of misusing resources appropriated by Congress, repeatedly making false statements to lawmakers and the press, and undermining the separation of powers.

“Under Secretary Kristi Noem’s leadership, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has done irreversible harm to our constituents, trampling the rights of all people and disregarding the rule of law,” Ramirez wrote to Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the chair and ranking member of the committee, respectively.

“She disregards the separation of powers, breaks the law, violates the standards of ethical behavior set for those in public office, and misuses resources appropriated by Congress,” she said. “When taken together, her actions violate her oath of office.”