A House hearing meant to survey “worldwide threats” quickly turned into a heated confrontation over immigration enforcement Thursday, when Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) accused Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem of misleading the public about ICE operations — and scolded her for appearing to smile during a discussion of U.S. citizens swept up in enforcement actions. (Mediaite)
Ramirez, a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, opened her exchange by playing a clip in which Noem said “No Americans have been arrested or detained” and that enforcement “focus[es] on those that are here illegally,” according to a transcript of the segment. (CNN Transcripts)
As the clip ended, Ramirez delivered the line that quickly ricocheted online: “Secretary Noem, you lie and you lie to the American people,” she said, adding that she would enter into the record a ProPublica report dated Oct. 16, 2025, about “more than 170 U.S. citizens” being held by immigration agents. (CNN Transcripts)
Then she paused to address Noem’s demeanor.
“There’s nothing to be smiling about U.S. citizens. I’m sorry. That’s very inappropriate,” Ramirez said, per the transcript, before continuing her critique of the department’s enforcement priorities. (CNN Transcripts)
A combative hearing, with immigration front and center
The clash came amid a broader, combative session in which Democrats repeatedly challenged Noem’s handling of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, while Republicans defended her leadership and credited the administration with improving border security. (The Washington Post)
The hearing itself was also interrupted by protesters early on. According to reporting on the incident, one protester shouted “Stop ICE raids!” and a line popularized by the film The Exorcist — “The power of Christ compels you!” — while Noem sat silently and appeared to smile before Capitol police removed the demonstrators. (The Guardian)
Democratic members used their questioning time to point to incidents in which U.S. citizens were detained during enforcement operations and to highlight cases involving long-term U.S. residents and military-connected families affected by immigration actions. (The Washington Post)
What Ramirez cited — and what she alleged
In addition to referencing the ProPublica report about detained U.S. citizens, Ramirez said she would also enter an NBC News article into the record dated Dec. 7, 2025, titled “ICE has arrested nearly 75,000 people with no criminal records, data shows,” arguing that Noem’s public messaging did not match the enforcement reality. (CNN Transcripts)
Noem has defended the department’s approach as focused on public safety and national security, and the administration has argued it is carrying out aggressive enforcement to meet deportation goals and expand detention capacity. (The Washington Post)
The backdrop: pressure, lawsuits, and scrutiny
Noem’s appearance drew extra attention because it was one of her relatively few high-profile congressional defenses of the administration’s immigration strategy in recent months. (AP News)
In the same hearing, Democrats pressed Noem on allegations of misleading statements and compliance with court orders, and the session underscored how sharply divided lawmakers remain over immigration enforcement tactics and due process concerns. (The Washington Post)
