Top House Democrats on Tuesday delivered a stark warning to former President Donald Trump: fire Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, or face impeachment proceedings. The ultimatum comes in response to the killing of Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen, during a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis over the weekend.
The escalation follows a wave of controversy stemming from similar incidents, including the recent death of Renee Good, another U.S. citizen killed during aggressive immigration operations in the city. The Democratic caucus has signed on to articles of impeachment introduced earlier this month, demanding accountability for what they describe as unchecked violence by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
In a joint statement, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and his deputies, Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar, said: “The violence unleashed on the American people by the Department of Homeland Security must end forthwith. Kristi Noem should be fired immediately, or we will commence impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives. We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
Trump, however, appeared to support Noem, telling reporters at the White House earlier Tuesday: “I think she’s doing a very good job. The border is totally secure.”
The articles of impeachment were introduced by Illinois Congresswoman Robin Kelly. As of Monday, 145 of 213 House Democrats had signed as cosponsors, including lawmakers from both safe and competitive districts, such as Pat Ryan, Laura Gillen (NY), Greg Landsman (OH), and Dave Min (CA).
In the Senate, Democratic lawmakers have indicated plans to block DHS funding due to allocations for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), while a growing number of senators have joined calls for Noem’s ouster.
Senator John Fetterman, representing Pennsylvania, emphasized the urgency in an X post: “Americans have died. She is betraying DHS’s core mission and trashing your border security legacy. DO NOT make the mistake President Biden made for not firing a grossly incompetent DHS Secretary.”
Progressive Senator Elizabeth Warren weighed in, referencing the death of Alex Pretti: “Alex Pretti wasn’t a terrorist. He was a VA nurse. When agents pushed a woman to the ground, he tried to help her up. His last words were ‘Are you okay?’ Enough. Kristi Noem should resign.”
Meanwhile, Senator Jacky Rosen, a moderate from Nevada, called Noem “an abject failure” and said: “She’s either too incompetent to rein in the agency under her purview, or she endorses the blatant constitutional violations being committed. Her latest attempt to mislead the public about Alex Pretti’s killing is deeply shameful, and she must be impeached and removed immediately.”
The Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee announced that Noem will testify on March 3, prompting concerns from Democrats. Senator Dick Durbin, the committee’s ranking Democrat, questioned the timing: “Secretary Noem refused to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee last year and now tells us that she will be available in five weeks—should she still be DHS secretary at that time?”
Speculation about Noem’s relationship with Trump grew after the president appointed Tom Homan as his new “border czar” in Minneapolis, replacing Greg Bovino, a Border Patrol official who reports to Noem.
Historically, impeachment of cabinet secretaries is extremely rare. Before Noem, the only recent example was the 2024 House impeachment of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas; the only other cabinet impeachment in U.S. history was War Secretary William Belknap in 1876. Neither secretary was convicted by the Senate.
Republicans have largely remained guarded in their responses. Noem herself defended the actions of federal agents, claiming they fired in self-defense and accusing Alex Pretti of attempting to inflict harm on law enforcement. Utah Senator John Curtis expressed mild criticism, stating: “I disagree with Secretary Noem’s premature DHS response, which came before all the facts were known and weakened confidence.”
As Democrats prepare to escalate pressure, the situation highlights growing partisan tensions over immigration enforcement, federal oversight, and accountability for cabinet-level officials. Whether Trump will heed the call to remove Noem—or whether the House moves forward with impeachment—remains a key political question in the coming weeks.
