Democratic Chamber leaders threatened Tuesday to begin impeachment proceedings against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem if president Donald Trump don’t fire her first.
Noem has faced increased pressure in recent days for her comments following the shooting of Alex Prettian American citizen killed Saturday by federal agents in Minneapolis.
“The violence unleashed against the American people by the Department of Homeland Security must stop immediately,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar said in a statement.
“Kristi Noem should be fired immediately or we will begin impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives,” the statement said.
“We can do it the easy way or the hard way.”
Following Pretti’s killing, Noem claimed he “brandished” a weapon and responded “violently” to police attempts to disarm him. These claims were later contradicted by video analysis and analyzes from multiple media outlets.
Trump answered “no” Tuesday when asked by a White House reporter whether Noem would leave her post.
Noem is doing “a really good job,” Trump told reporters ahead of his planned trip to Iowa.
The warning from House Democrats comes as a A partial government shutdown looms amid concerns over DHS funding.
“The Trump Administration is using taxpayer dollars to kill American citizens, brutalize communities, and violently target law-abiding immigrant families. The country is disgusted by what the Department of Homeland Security has done,” the leaders said in their statement.
Last week, the House passed a spending package of more than $1.2 trillion that included funding for DHS and other agencies. But the Senate only has until 12:01 a.m. Saturday to pass the bills and keep the government fully funded.
The killing of Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, sparked outrage among Senate Democrats, who demanded that the DHS bill be removed from the larger spending package in exchange for their votes.
Democratic support for spending bills is needed to end the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster.
“Senate Democrats have made clear that we are prepared to quickly advance all five appropriations bills separately from the DHS funding bill before the Jan. 30 deadline,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement Monday.
“The responsibility to prevent a partial government shutdown rests with Leader Thune and Senate Republicans,” Schumer said. “If [Majority Leader John] Thune is introducing these five bills this week, we can pass them right away. Otherwise, the Republicans will once again be responsible for another government shutdown. »
Trump and the White House this week softened the administration’s stance toward Prettiseemingly walking back previous statements made by administration officials like Stephen Miller, Trump’s homeland security adviser, who called Pretti a “domestic terrorist.”
“No one at the White House, including President Trump, wants to see people injured or killed on American streets,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press briefing Monday.
However, tensions remain high after the death of Pretti and Renee Nicole Goodanother citizen killed by federal agents in Minneapolis this month.
DHS recently launched a immigration enforcement investigation in Minnesota, sending federal agents into the state in response to an ongoing social services fraud scandal and targeting thousands of refugees.
Minnesota state officials and congressional Democrats have strongly condemned the tactics used by DHS and ICE, and some congressional Republicans have also called for increased oversight.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Monday called on the heads of ICE, Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to testify before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which he chairs.
He also called for an “independent investigation” into the shooting.
“This should happen immediately. I don’t recall ever hearing a police chief immediately describe the victim as a ‘domestic terrorist’ or a ‘potential assassin’.” Paul said in a message to Tuesday.
“For calm to return, an independent investigation is the least that can be done,” he wrote.
Officials from ICE, CPB and USCIS agreed Tuesday to testify at a Feb. 10 House Homeland Security Committee hearing.
