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By Kate Plummer
Senior US News Reporter
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More than 50 organizations have called for the impeachment of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, according to a report.
Pressure has been increasing on Noem after Democratic Representative Robin Kelly of Illinois formally introduced three articles of impeachment against Noem on January 14, accusing her of obstruction of Congress, violation of public trust and self-dealing.
According to a letter first reported by The Hill and seen by Newsweek, Vote Latino and other advocacy groups including the Service Employees International Union, Human Rights Campaign, and United Farm Workers sent a letter to congressional leaders saying they backed Kelly's resolution.
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DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told *Newsweek: "*DHS is a law enforcement agency. Under Secretary Noem, DHS enforces the laws Congress passes, period. If certain members don’t like those laws, changing them is literally their job.
"While ICE officers are facing a staggering 1,300 per cent spike in assaults, too many politicians would rather defend criminals and attack the men and women who are enforcing our laws and did nothing while Joe Biden facilitated an invasion of tens of millions of illegal aliens into our country.
"It’s time they focus on protecting the American people, the work this Department is doing every day under Secretary Noem’s leadership."
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Why It Matters
While impeaching Noem is unlikely, given that the GOP has majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, continued efforts to remove her from office might damage her reputation and standing with her Republican colleagues in a year when voters are heading to the polls for midterm elections.
Only two Cabinet members have ever been impeached by the House. Secretary of War William Belknap was impeached in 1876 and former DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was impeached in 2024. Neither Belknap or Mayorkas was ultimately convicted or removed from their positions by the Senate.
What To Know
“Secretary Noem’s tenure has been defined by a dangerous violation of public trust, obstruction of Congress and oversight, a blatant disregard for constitutional protections, and state-sanctioned conduct that places U.S. citizens and lawful residents in immediate peril,” the letter reportedly said.
“Secretary Noem has fundamentally failed to exercise the sound judgment and discretion required of her office,” it added.
The letter was delivered to Speaker Mike Johnson, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and and ranking members of the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees, including Chairmen Jim Jordan and Andrew Garbarino, and Ranking Members Jamie Raskin and Bennie Thompson.
It comes after Kelly's articles of impeachment against Noem accused her of obstruction of Congress, violation of public trust and self-dealing. They said she tried to enter a DHS facility used to detain undocumented immigrants unlawfully and directed ICE to make "widespread warrantless arrests, forgo due process, and use violence against United States citizens, lawful residents, and other individuals."
The articles also accused Noem of misusing her position for "personal gain while inappropriately using $200 million taxpayer dollars to fund an ad campaign for ICE recruitment," Kelly's office said in a news release.
At the time of writing, 187 lawmakers have co-sponsored the resolution.
Efforts to remove Noem from office appear to have been ramped up following the DHS's handling of Alex Pretti's death at the hands of federal agents.
Pretti, an ICU nurse, was shot dead by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis on Saturday during a federal immigration enforcement operation. His killing was the second fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis this month, following the January 7 death of Renee Good, who was killed by an ICE agent during another enforcement action.
Meanwhile, a series of polls have shown that Americans have an unfavorable opinion of Noem.
Negative polling may impact Trump's trust in Noem. But at a recent press briefing, press secretary Karoline Leavitt indicated that Trump had confidence in Noem.
One YouGov poll, which surveyed 1,122 adults from January 13-15, found that 28 percent of Americans view Noem favorably, while 40 percent view her unfavorably.
What People Are Saying
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson previously told Newsweek: "How silly during a serious time. As ICE officers are facing a 1,300 percent increase in assaults against them, Rep. Kelly is more focused on showmanship and fundraising clicks than actually cleaning up her crime-ridden Chicago district. We hope she would get serious about doing her job to protect American people, which is what this Department is doing under Secretary Noem."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters earlier this month: "Secretary Noem still has the utmost confidence and trust of the president of the United States, and she's continuing to oversee the entire Department of Homeland Security and all of the immigration enforcement that's taking place across the whole entire country."
Vote Latino told Newsweek: “Voto Latino is proud to lead a broad coalition of more than 50 organizations that joined our efforts to express support for Representative Kelly’s articles of impeachment—a necessary and critical tool that has already garnered more than 187 co-signatures since being introduced.
"Coalitions like this, along with the general public flooding their representatives’ phone lines, are how we change the tide and create real change. We live in a representative democracy, and at a moment when norms and institutions are being challenged, we must collectively take a stand, push for what’s right, and hold our elected officials accountable.”
Human Rights Campaign Vice President of Government Affairs David Stacy told Newsweek: “This country's agencies are meant to serve and protect the people. But under Secretary Kristi Noem's leadership, DHS has unleashed state violence and chaos on our streets and violated basic due process rights. When masked federal agents occupy our communities, terrorize our neighbors, and abduct families, no community is safe. The Trump Administration has failed the nation, and the American people deserve accountability, justice, and action. Secretary Noem must be impeached."
What Happens Next
It is unlikely that impeachment efforts will move forward given the GOP's House and Senate majorities.
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