House Democrats Threaten Impeachment of Noem Over DHS Actions

• Jan 27, 2026

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries warned Tuesday that Democrats will move to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem if she is not removed from office, signaling a more aggressive approach to addressing the Trump administration’s immigration policies. “Kristi Noem should be fired immediately, or we will commence impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives,” Jeffries said. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

The statement was issued jointly with Democratic Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar of California. The push follows the introduction of an impeachment resolution on January 14 by Democratic Rep. Robin Kelly of Illinois, shortly after ICE officer Renee Good fatally shot a civilian in Minneapolis. Support for impeachment has grown following the recent fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents in the same city.

As of Monday, over 140 of the 213 House Democrats had signed on to Kelly’s resolution, according to her office. A simple majority is required to impeach, meaning at least three House Republicans would need to join Democrats—a scenario experts consider unlikely. Even if the House approved articles of impeachment, removal would face a steep challenge in the Senate, where a two-thirds majority is needed to convict and remove a federal official.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, urged the Republican chairman to “immediately commence” impeachment proceedings against Noem. If that does not happen, Raskin said Democrats on the Judiciary, Oversight, and Homeland Security Committees would begin a full oversight and impeachment inquiry into potential constitutional crimes by Noem, including the Minneapolis shootings and other alleged abuses of power.

Democratic leaders criticized the Department of Homeland Security’s actions, calling for “dramatic changes.” Their joint statement emphasized that federal agents who break the law must face prosecution, paramilitary tactics must stop, and taxpayer dollars should be used to support Americans rather than fund lethal actions. Senate Democrats also pledged to block a funding package including Homeland Security money if reforms are not addressed before Friday’s potential shutdown.

President Trump defended Noem, telling reporters Tuesday that she is “doing a very good job” and is not stepping down. Reports indicate that Noem faces internal scrutiny but is expected to remain in her position. She was questioned at the White House about DHS’s handling of the Pretti shooting and is expected to shift focus to southern border security and other priorities.