Top House Democrats on Tuesday demanded Donald Trump fire Kristi Noem or face impeachment proceedings against the homeland security secretary, responding to the weekend killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
The ultimatum followed a majority of the House Democratic caucus signing articles of impeachment introduced earlier in the month, stemming from the shooting death of Renee Good. Good, like Pretti, was a U.S. citizen killed by federal agents during an increasingly violent immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota’s largest city.
“The violence unleashed on the American people by the Department of Homeland Security must end promptly. Kristi Noem shoudl be fired immediatly, or we will commence impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives,” House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, along with his deputies Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar, stated jointly. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
Earlier in the day, Trump voiced support for Noem, telling reporters at the White House: “I think she’s doing a very good job. The border is totally secure.”
illinois congresswoman Robin Kelly introduced the articles of impeachment, and as of Monday, 145 of 213 House Democrats had signed on as cosponsors, according to a spokeswoman for her office.
The group includes Democrats in safe seats and those considered vulnerable, such as Pat Ryan and Laura Gillen of New York, Greg Landsman of Ohio, and Dave Min of California.
In the Senate, Democrats have considered blocking funding for Immigration and Customs enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as leverage, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
