Representative Delia Ramirez, an Illinois Democrat, said Thursday that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem should either step down or be impeached.
Ramirez asked House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, and Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, to open an investigation into Noem’s leadership of DHS. The department oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which are central to the Trump administration’s mass deportation policy.
“Under Secretary Kristi Noem’s leadership, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has done irreversible harm to our constituents, trampling the rights of all people and disregarding the rule of law,” Ramirez wrote in a letter to lawmakers.
In her request, Ramirez accused Noem of misleading Congress and the public, misusing resources appropriated by Congress, and ignoring court orders and congressional oversight. She pointed to reports that more than 170 U.S. citizens have been detained by immigration agents—contradicting Noem’s public assertions that enforcement focuses only on people in the country illegally.
Ramirez said her request seeks a full inquiry into whether Noem made false statements to Congress, mishandled departmental resources, or exceeded constitutional limits on executive authority.
“Your options are limited. You either resign, Trump fires you, or you will be impeached,” Ramirez said during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing Thursday.
A DHS spokesperson responded Friday morning: “As a self-proclaimed ‘Guatemala first’ politician, we are not shocked that Rep Ramirez is more focused on showmanship than actual policy work including hours before a hearing. We hope she would get serious about doing her job to protect American people, which is what this Department is doing under Secretary Noem.”
Why It Matters
Ramirez’s ultimatum underscores how sharply Washington remains divided over immigration enforcement and executive accountability. While impeachment is rare—and difficult to advance, particularly against a Cabinet official when the president’s party controls the House—public calls for it can intensify political pressure and shape narratives ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Speculation has circulated about whether Noem could be replaced, reflecting heightened scrutiny of her approach to immigration enforcement. Some reports have suggested potential leadership changes, but White House officials and President Donald Trump have publicly dismissed those rumors and reiterated support for Noem.
Trump has backed Noem publicly, and with Republicans controlling the House, the likelihood of impeachment moving forward is widely viewed as low.
Other House Democrats have already filed articles of impeachment against Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
What To Know
Noem has defended DHS actions, arguing the department is enforcing federal law and conducting operations appropriately. At Thursday’s Homeland Security Committee hearing, she reaffirmed support for tougher border security and interior enforcement, rejecting allegations of wrongdoing.
Democrats at the hearing criticized Noem’s leadership and immigration policies, with some also calling for her resignation. The proceedings were interrupted by protestors.
Republicans, including Jordan’s office, dismissed Ramirez’s letter as unlikely to lead to action, with a spokesman calling it “toothless.”
DHS, along with ICE and CBP, has faced ongoing pushback over the detention of nonviolent immigrants, including some with minor or older criminal histories.
At Thursday’s hearing, Representative Seth Magaziner, a Rhode Island Democrat, questioned Noem about the detention of Donna Hughes Brown, a green card holder held by ICE in Kentucky since July after being arrested in Chicago over a bad check from more than a decade ago. Hughes Brown is married to Jim Brown, a Navy combat veteran who served in the Gulf War.
“Now what possible explanation can there be for locking up his wife for four months when she has committed no crime other than writing a couple of bad checks for $80?” Magaziner asked.
Noem replied that it is not “my prerogative, my latitude or my job to pick and choose which laws in this country get enforced,” and said she would review the cases Magaziner raised—including that of a combat veteran who appeared via video call after being deported to South Korea earlier this year.
What People Are Saying
Representative Delia Ramirez, at Thursday’s House Homeland Security Committee hearing: “Secretary Noem, you have misused resources appropriated by Congress and engaged in unethical behavior. You have repeatedly made false and misleading statements to Congress and to the press. And you have undermined the separation of powers and disregarded the role of Congress and the Courts. Bottom line: you LIE, act with impunity, reject checks and balances, and ignore Congress and the Courts.”
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, at Thursday’s hearing: “Under President Trump’s leadership, DHS is securing our borders, we’re restoring the rule of law, and we’re protecting the homeland. We have sent a strong message to criminal illegal aliens that we will find you, we will arrest you, and we will deport you.”
Noem also said: “Truthfully, I consider your asking me to resign an endorsement of my work.”
Ranking Member Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat: “Never in the history of the committee has a secretary of Homeland Security hidden from congressional oversight like you and your department have, Secretary Noem.”
House Homeland Security Chair Andrew Garbarino, a New York Republican: “The border is secure, the flow of drugs is slowing, and violent criminals are being taken off the streets. America is once again a symbol of global strength.”
President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters Wednesday: “I read a story recently that I’m unhappy with Kristi — I’m so happy with her…We have a border that’s the best border in the history of our country. Why would I be unhappy? She’s fantastic, actually.”
What Happens Next?
Impeachment proceedings against a sitting Republican Cabinet secretary are widely seen as unlikely to advance in a GOP-controlled Congress.
