Democrats Push to Impeach Noem After Minneapolis Shooting

Seventy House Democrats are backing an effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, in the wake of the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis by a federal immigration agent. Democratic Rep. Robin Kelly of Illinois formally introduced three articles of impeachment against Noem on Wednesday, including obstruction of Congress, violation of public trust, and self-dealing. Seventy members of Congress—all Democrats—are co-sponsoring the articles of impeachment, according to a press release from Kelly’s office. “Secretary Noem has brought her reign of terror to the Chicago land area, L.A., New Orleans, Charlotte, Durham, and communities north to south to east to west,” Kelly said at a press conference on Wednesday. “She needs to be held accountable for her actions.” “This is real life, and real people are being hurt and killed,” Kelly continued. “Renee Nicole Good is dead because Secretary Noem allowed her DHS agents to run amok. Families are forever torn apart.” The push to impeach the Trump Administration official comes amid widespread outrage over the killing of Good, a U.S. citizen and mother of three, in Minneapolis last week. Federal officials, including Noem, have characterized the shooting as an act of “self-defense.” Noem said last week that she believed that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who shot Good followed his training, and accused Good of trying to run over the officer with her car. But videos of the incident appear to contradict that account, and local leaders and Democratic lawmakers have strongly disputed that portrayal. A day after Good was killed, Border Patrol agents shot two other people in a separate incident in Portland, further fueling public outrage over the Trump Administration’s immigration crackdown in communities across the country. Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in the days since—both in major cities and in small towns. The articles of impeachment filed by Kelly accuse Noem of preventing members of Congress from entering Department of Homeland Security (DHS) facilities where undocumented immigrants are being held. The filing also accuses Noem of having “breached the public trust” by “directing Immigration and Customs Enforcement to make widespread warrantless arrests, forgo due process, and use violence against United States citizens, lawful residents, and other individuals.” It lists several incidents that occurred during Noem’s immigration enforcement operation in Chicago, and makes a reference to the Minneapolis shooting last week. The filing goes on to allege that Noem used “her position for personal gain while inappropriately using taxpayer dollars,” including by allegedly bypassing the normal contract process and spending taxpayer funds on a $200 million ad campaign to recruit ICE agents. A spokesperson for DHS called the impeachment effort against Noem a “silly” move, in a statement to Fox News Digital. “As ICE officers are facing a 1,300% increase in assaults against them, Rep. Kelly is more focused on showmanship and fundraising clicks than actually cleaning up her crime-ridden Chicago district,” the spokesperson said. “We hope she would get serious about doing her job to protect American people, which is what this Department is doing under Secretary Noem.” It’s unlikely that the impeachment effort will gain traction in the Republican-controlled House. But Kelly remained firm in her decision to file the articles of impeachment. “Secretary Noem has called my impeachment effort ‘silly.’ I want to tell her right now: Secretary Noem, you have violated your oath of office and there will be consequences,” Kelly said. “I am watching you, members of Congress are watching you, the American people—most importantly—are watching you. And most of all, we are not liking what we’re seeing. If you believe impeachment is ‘silly,’ then you are not taking your job or our Constitution seriously.”