Democrats have escalated their pressure campaign against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem into a formal impeachment push, after last week’s fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by an ICE agent in Minneapolis ignited a national backlash and renewed scrutiny of the Trump administration’s hardli ne immigration enforcement tactics. On Wednesday, Rep. Robin Kelly of Illinois introduced articles of impeachment against Noem, accusing the secretary of overseeing a Department of Homeland Security that has blurred the line between enforcement and abuse of power. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks after signing a letter of intent with Chile’s Minister of Public Security Luis Cordero for a Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program (BITMAP) on July 30, 2025 at the Security Ministry in Santiago, Chile. Noem is on a multi-day visit to Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay. (Photo by Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images) Kelly said Noem had carried what she called a “reign of terror” into communities across the country, from the Chicagoland area to Los Angeles, New Orleans, Charlotte, Durham and beyond, arguing that the Minneapolis shooting was not an isolated tragedy but part of a broader pattern. “Secretary Noem… needs to be held accountable for her actions,” Kelly said, announcing three impeachment articles: obstruction of Congress, violation of public trust, and self-dealing. Kelly said the effort has the backing of 70 members of Congress. ‘What We Are All Thinking!’: Detroit Factory Worker Suspended for Heckling Trump Gets the Last Laugh As GoFundMe Explodes The impeachment attempt follows the death of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis mother of three, who was shot and killed on Wednesday morning, Jan. 7, during a confrontation tied to protests over ICE operations in the city. Multiple videos circulating online show the moment an ICE agent leaned near the right front side of Good’s SUV as she attempted to drive away, then fired through the driver’s side windshield at close range. Reports say Good was struck in the face and chest and later died at the hospital. The Trump administration and DHS quickly sought to shape the narrative. Noem alleged that Good “endangered ICE agents” and framed the incident as “an act of domestic terrorism,” language Democrats say sounded less like a serious public safety assessment and more like a preemptive justification for what many believe was an unjustified killing. Local officials strongly disputed the administration’s characterization. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned the shooting as a reckless use of federal power and demanded the agency leave the city. Rather than pulling back, the administration sent additional federal agents, escalating tensions as protests continued. Kelly’s impeachment articles go beyond the Minneapolis case, laying out broader claims about Noem’s conduct in office. Democrats accuse DHS leadership of willfully obstructing congressional oversight by withholding appropriated funds and repeatedly blocking lawmakers from entering DHS facilities. They further allege violations of public trust, citing “warrantless arrests” and the use of violence against U.S. citizens and lawful residents during enforcement actions. The third charge centers on claims that Noem improperly used taxpayer money to fund an ICE recruitment ad campaign and awarded a $200 million recruitment contract to a firm run by the husband of a senior DHS official and spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin. The impeachment articles argue that such actions represent a misuse of public funds and a breach of ethical responsibilities. DHS rejected the impeachment push as political theater. A spokesperson accused Kelly of prioritizing “showmanship and fundraising clicks” over public safety, calling it “silly during a serious time,” and pointing to an alleged surge in assaults on ICE officers. “We hope she would get serious about doing her job to protect American people, which is what this Department is doing under Secretary Noem,” the spokesperson said. Kelly responded directly, warning Noem that consequences are coming: “You have violated your oath of office and there will be consequences.” The latest move is not the first time Democrats have flirted with impeachment as a response to Noem’s crackdown. Late last year, Illinois Rep. Delia Ramirez attempted to launch impeachment proceedings amid an immigration sweep in Chicago. But Kelly’s push, framed as urgent and immediate after the Good shooting, represents the most aggressive escalation yet. As impeachment chatter spreads, Democrats have increasingly portrayed Noem not just as a policy hawk but as a public figure whose approach to tragedy reflects a deeper contempt for accountability. That dynamic exploded into viral fodder the day after the shooting, when Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz delivered a blistering critique of Noem during a House Judiciary Committee meeting. Moskowitz did not focus only on enforcement tactics, he zeroed in on what Democrats describe as Noem’s nonstop “cosplay” routine: the dramatic outfits, the swaggering briefings, the sense that she treats deadly enforcement operations like a personal branding campaign. “Is she hiding her face like her ICE agents now?” Moskowitz asked, referencing Noem’s appearance at the press briefing in Minneapolis, where she wore a cowboy hat that partially covered her face. “By the way,is this what the $800 billion went to? Every day we see her after some new tragedy, she’s wearing a different outfit with a different hat. She looks ridiculous.” View on Threads Then he landed the line that became the day’s headline fuel: Noem “deserves to be removed from her job by the president, and if not, impeached.” While Moskowitz’s speech went viral, so did the reactions of Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, the California Democrat seated beside him, whose animated nods and expressive gestures became a second storyline online. Viewers clipped the moment repeatedly, describing her visible agreement as the kind of silent commentary that said what many Democrats were thinking. The mockery spilled across social media, with critics blasting Noem’s appearance and her messaging after Good’s death. Some comments were vicious, focusing on her looks and demeanor rather than her actions — a phenomenon that even some Democrats acknowledged risked turning a deadly incident into spectacle. Still, party critics argue Noem created the spectacle herself by turning public tragedy into what they describe as a “PR runway.” Even within the Democratic caucus, however, strategy remains divided. House leaders have not endorsed Kelly’s impeachment effort, which is unlikely to advance in a Republican-controlled House. Other Democrats want to use the upcoming government funding deadline as leverage, pushing to rein in ICE, slash enforcement dollars, and impose stricter limits on DHS operations. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries acknowledged the outrage but appeared to question whether impeachment is the best tool. “We haven’t ruled anything in and we haven’t ruled anything out,” Jeffries said earlier this week, calling Noem “completely and totally unqualified” and saying she should be “run out of town as soon as possible,” while stopping short of fully embracing impeachment. The clash also comes with recent precedent: in 2024, House Republicans impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in a historically rare move that even some Republicans warned was overtly political. The Senate ultimately dismissed those charges, arguing they failed to meet the threshold of “high crimes and misdemeanors.” For Noem, the political math is grim. Impeachment would require a majority vote in the House and a two-thirds Senate majority to convict, a steep climb in today’s landscape. But Democrats pushing the effort say the point isn’t only removal. It know it’s about putting Noem’s conduct, rhetoric, and enforcement tactics on trial in the court of public opinion. ‘There Will be Consequences!’: Democrats Move to Impeach Kristi Noem — and This Time It’s Not Just Talk ...read more read less