WASHINGTON – U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem doubled down Tuesday on labeling two American citizens killed by federal immigration agents as “domestic terrorists,” despite video evidence challenging her claims and bipartisan criticism during heated Senate testimony.
Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee in her first congressional appearance since the January shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Noem, a Trump appointee overseeing the Republican president’s sweeping immigration crackdown, faced sharp grilling from Democrats. She cited real-time reports from agents at the chaotic scenes but refused to retract her statements or apologize, insisting she aims to deliver factual updates.
Senator Dick Durbin, the panel’s top Democrat, pressed Noem on those remarks and similar ones about a Chicago survivor shot five times by agents. Republican Chairman Chuck Grassley acknowledged administration “mistakes” but defended officers, stressing they must not face threats while upholding the law.
The deaths sparked outrage, prompting the Trump administration to pivot from large-scale urban surges, involving thousands of masked agents clashing with protesters in cities, to more targeted enforcement. Noem noted 650 agents remain in Minnesota, down from 3,000 in January. With departmental funding lapsed last month, Democrats block new allocations absent reforms, though essential operations persist for its 260,000 employees.
Noem also addressed terrorism risks amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, vowing heightened scrutiny of social media and interviews with past immigrant entrants to thwart sleeper cells, without specifics. Trump champions mass deportations to reverse Biden-era inflows and backs Noem, but a February Reuters/Ipsos poll shows 60% of Americans view agent tactics as excessive, a potential drag on Republicans ahead of November midterms.
House Democrats’ January impeachment push against Noem, citing civil rights abuses, oversight blocks, and crony contracts, faces dim prospects in the GOP-controlled chamber. She heads to the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.