More House Democrats have joined a set of articles of impeachment targeting Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, raising the number of Democratic co-sponsors to 70.
Representative Robin Kelly of Illinois formally introduced the impeachment articles on Wednesday. They include three charges: obstruction of Congress, violation of public trust, and self-dealing.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson previously dismissed the push as “silly” in a statement to Newsweek.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin also addressed the latest development, telling Newsweek: “DHS is a law enforcement agency—enforcing the rule of law passed by Congress. If members don’t like the law, it is quite literally their job to change it.
“As ICE officers are facing a 1,300 percent increase in assaults against them, politicians are more focused on showmanship and fundraising clicks than actually removing criminals from our streets.
“We hope these members get serious about doing their job to protect American people, which is what this department is doing under Secretary Noem.”
Newsweek has contacted Kelly’s press office for additional comment via email outside regular working hours.
Why It Matters
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an agency within DHS, has faced heightened scrutiny in recent months as it carries out President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda. On January 7, an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis—an incident that has fueled public outrage and renewed calls from some activists and lawmakers to abolish ICE. Anti-ICE protests have also taken place across the country.
What To Know
The first article argues Noem violated her constitutional oath by refusing to comply with a law that prohibits DHS from blocking a member of Congress from entering a DHS facility used to detain undocumented immigrants.
Kelly’s office said in a news release that the congresswoman attempted to enter an ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois, but “was denied, despite following Secretary Noem’s unlawful seven-day notice.”
Her office also said there is documentation of “six other instances in which members of Congress have tried to enter an ICE facility and was denied” in Texas, Colorado, California, New York, Virginia, and Washington.
The second article accuses Noem of violating the Immigration and Nationality Act as well as the First and Fourth Amendments by directing ICE to conduct “widespread warrantless arrests,” bypass due process protections, and use violence against U.S. citizens, lawful residents, and others.
The document cites the shooting of Good as an example of what it describes as excessive force. It states: “Despite video showing the officer on the side of the vehicle while firing and the vehicle was moving away from the officer on the second and third shots, Kristi Lynn Arnold Noem is claiming publicly that the officer was in danger and in front of the vehicle when he fired.”
The filing adds that the vehicle was “attempting to get out of the way of agents.”
The third article focuses on allegations that Noem used her position for “personal gain,” including claims that she inappropriately used $200 million in taxpayer funds for an ICE recruitment ad campaign, according to Kelly’s office.
Kelly’s office said Noem “bypassed the normal competitive bidding process to award a contract to a firm called Strategy Group.” The office also said Strategy Group was formed days before the award and is run by the husband of senior DHS official Tricia McLaughlin, whom it described as a close friend of Noem.
Full List of Democrats Signed on to Articles of Impeachment Against Noem
Here is the full list of House Democrats who have signed on to the articles of impeachment:
Adriano Espaillat (NY-13)
Alma Adams (NC-12)
Angie Craig (MN-02)
April McClain Delaney (MD-06)
Becca Balint (VT-AL)
Betty McCollum (MN-04)
Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12)
Brad Sherman (CA-32)
Brittany Pettersen (CO-07)
Chellie Pingree (ME-01)
Danny Davis (IL-07)
Dave Min (CA-47)
Diana DeGette (CO-01)
Doris Matsui (CA-07)
Emily Randall (WA-06)
Eric Sorensen (IL-17)
Eric Swalwell (CA-14)
Gabe Amo (RI-01)
Gabe Vasquez (NM-02)
Gwen Moore (WI-04)
Ilhan Omar (MN-05)
Jan Schakowsky (IL-09)
Jasmine Crockett (TX-30)
Jill Tokuda (HI-02)
Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)
John Larson (CT-01)
Jonathan Jackson (IL-01)
Juan Vargas (CA-52)
Julie Johnson (TX-32)
Kelly Morrison (MN-03)
Kevin Mullin (CA-15)
LaMonica McIver (NJ-10)
Lateefah Simon (CA-12)
Laura Friedman (CA-30)
Linda T. Sanchez (CA-38)
Lloyd Doggett (TX-37)
Lori Trahan (MA-03)
Luz Rivas (CA-29)
Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10)
Mark Pocan (WI-02)
Maxine Dexter (OR-03)
Maxwell Frost (FL-10)
Melanie Stansbury (NM-01)
Mike Quigley (IL-05)
Mike Thompson (CA-04)
Nikki Budzinski (IL-13)
Nydia Velazquez (NY-07)
Paul Tonko (NY-20)
Pramila Jayapal (WA-07)
Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08)
Rashida Tlaib (MI-12)
Ritchie Torres (NY-15)
Rob Menendez (NJ-08)
Sarah Elfreth (MD-03)
Sarah McBride (DE-AL)
Sean Casten (IL-06)
Seth Moulton (MA-6)
Shontel Brown (OH-11)
Shri Thanedar (MI-13)
Steve Cohen (TN-09)
Summer Lee (PA-12)
Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03)
Tim Kennedy (NY-26)
Val Hoyle (OR-04)
Valerie Foushee (NC-04)
Veronica Escobar (TX-16)
Wesley Bell (MO-01)
Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03)
Yvette Clarke (NY-09)
What People Are Saying
Kelly said at a news conference announcing the impeachment articles: “Secretary Noem has brought her reign of terror to Chicago, L.A., Minneapolis, and communities from north to south, east to west. She needs to be impeached for her actions. Secretary Noem has called my impeachment effort ‘silly.’ I want to tell her right now: You have violated your oath of office and there will be consequences. I am watching you. The American people are watching you. And most of all, we are not liking what we are seeing. If you believe impeachment is ‘silly,’ then you are not taking your job or our Constitution seriously.”
A DHS spokesperson previously told Newsweek: “How silly during a serious time. As ICE officers are facing a 1,300 percent increase in assaults against them, Representative Kelly is more focused on showmanship and fundraising clicks than actually cleaning up her crime-ridden Chicago district. We hope she would get serious about doing her job to protect American people, which is what this Department is doing under Secretary Noem.”
What Happens Next
Even with additional Democratic support, the impeachment effort faces long odds. Republicans control the House, making passage unlikely. The measure would also face a steeper hurdle in the Senate, where conviction would require a two-thirds vote in the GOP-controlled chamber.
