House Democrats Split as Kristi Noem Impeachment Drive Passes 70 Co‑Sponsors
Rep. Robin Kelly has introduced three articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem—charging obstruction of Congress, violation of public trust/constitutional rights, and self‑dealing over roughly $220 million in contracts—and roughly 70 House Democrats have signed on as co‑sponsors. The effort, driven in part by outrage after the Renee Good shooting and broader anti‑ICE protests, has exposed a split in the Democratic caucus between progressives pushing impeachment and centrists favoring appropriations or operational limits, while DHS and House Republicans call the move politically motivated and the measure would likely be dead on arrival in a GOP Senate.
📌 Key Facts
- Rep. Robin Kelly formally introduced three articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem charging: obstruction of Congress (including blocking facility access and withholding disaster funds); violation of the public trust/constitutional violations (alleged due‑process and First/Fourth Amendment abuses in ICE detention); and self‑dealing/corruption, including allegations about roughly $220 million in contracts to a firm tied to Noem’s spokesperson’s husband.
- Co‑sponsorship grew rapidly: initial reports listed about 53 House Democrats, Kelly’s office later pegged the total at 67, and subsequent reporting says over 70 Democrats—roughly one‑third of the caucus—have now signed on.
- The impeachment push was driven in part by anti‑ICE anger and protests after the killing of Renee Nicole Good and Democrats’ criticism of Noem’s response, including allegations she prematurely labeled Good a “domestic terrorist” and smeared a deceased American.
- The effort has exposed sharp Democratic infighting: progressives and some leaders (including Hakeem Jeffries and Maxwell Frost) have called for a strong response and accountability, while centrists and swing‑district members (eg. Susie Lee, Adam Gray, Sanford Bishop, Don Davis, Jared Golden and others) warn impeachment could be symbolic, distracting or politically harmful to vulnerable Democrats.
- Many Democrats and staffers are considering alternatives or complements to impeachment—detailed, tactical funding‑leverage ideas and operational limits on DHS/ICE (via appropriations) are under discussion as ways to constrain enforcement without an impeachment alone.
- DHS and Republicans pushed back forcefully: DHS called the move “silly during a serious time,” cited a large increase in assaults on ICE officers, and GOP lawmakers largely rallied around Noem, framing the shooting as justified and calling instead for investigations rather than removal.
- Kelly and other supporters have tied the articles to specific enforcement actions (citing operations like “Operation Midway Blitz”), arguing aggressive ICE tactics harm immigrant communities and local economies; lawmakers on camera (including Kelly and Rep. Nydia Velázquez) have publicly warned Noem she is being watched and accused her of smearing the dead.
- Even with growing House co‑sponsorship, several Democrats say they may oppose an impeachment vote on the floor, and observers note that any House passage would likely be ‘dead on arrival’ in the Republican‑led Senate.
📊 Relevant Data
Latinos accounted for 90% of ICE arrests during the first six months of 2025 under Trump's second term, with arrests nearly doubling during the first 100 days compared to the pre-Trump period, driven by a 255% growth in community-based enforcement.
UCLA Report Finds Latino Arrests by ICE Have Skyrocketed Under the Trump Administration’s Second Term — UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
Four in ten (40%) immigrant adults reported negative health impacts, such as increased stress, anxiety, sadness, problems sleeping or eating, or worsening conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure, due to immigration-related worries since January 2025, rising to 77% among likely undocumented immigrants.
In a 2025 national survey of Latino immigrants, 48% of naturalized Latino citizens reported they would be perceived as Latino/Hispanic by a white border patrol agent based on skin color, hairstyle, or facial features, contributing to avoidance behaviors like 16% avoiding calling police due to fear of immigration status questioning.
Racial profiling by ICE will have a marked impact on Latino communities — Brookings Institution
The US immigrant population declined by more than 1 million people from 53.3 million in January 2025 to 51.9 million in June 2025, marking the first decline since the 1960s, with unauthorized immigrants primarily from Central and South America accounting for most recent arrivals prior to policy-driven reductions.
What the data says about immigrants in the U.S. — Pew Research Center
📰 Source Timeline (7)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms that Rep. Robin Kelly has now formally introduced three specific articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, accusing her of obstructing Congress, constitutional violations and corruption.
- Reports that roughly 70 House Democrats — about one‑third of the caucus — have signed onto Kelly’s articles as of Wednesday morning, with several more members telling Axios they plan to co‑sponsor.
- Details open pushback from centrist and swing‑district Democrats like Reps. Adam Gray, Sanford Bishop and Don Davis, who warn impeachment could be a 'distraction' or merely 'symbolic' and say they want to stay focused on affordability and health care.
- Includes Kelly’s argument that ICE tactics and fear in immigrant communities 'feed into' affordability and health‑care problems by depressing restaurant traffic and keeping people from work, and DHS’ dismissal of the impeachment as 'silly' and politically motivated.
- Notes that Rep. Jared Golden and potentially other Democrats may oppose impeachment on the floor, and underscores that even passage in the House would be 'dead on arrival' in the Senate.
- Confirms that 'over 70' House Democrats have now signed on to three impeachment articles against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, up from 67.
- Spells out the three charges: obstruction of Congress, violation of public trust, and self‑dealing for personal benefit.
- Details Democrats’ specific criticisms of Noem’s response to the Renee Nicole Good shooting, including claims she prematurely labeled Good a 'domestic terrorist' and failed to hold ICE accountable.
- Adds on‑camera quotes from Rep. Robin Kelly warning Noem she is being watched by Congress and the public, and from Rep. Nydia Velázquez accusing Noem of smearing a dead American.
- Notes GOP reaction: Republicans have largely rallied around Noem and framed the shooting as justified, calling instead for an investigation into the incident rather than impeachment.
- Rep. Robin Kelly’s office now pegs the number of co-sponsors for her three impeachment articles against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem at 67, up from 'over 50.'
- Kelly’s office reiterates the three grounds: alleged obstruction of Congress, violation of public trust, and self-dealing/using her office for personal gain.
- DHS issues a sharper rebuttal through a spokesperson, calling the impeachment effort 'silly during a serious time' and claiming ICE officers are facing a '1,300% increase in assaults against them.'
- Kelly’s floor remarks are quoted tying the impeachment directly to 'Operation Midway Blitz' and accusing Trump and Noem of bringing 'violence and destruction' to the Chicago area via immigration enforcement.
- Rep. Robin Kelly (D‑Ill.), a member of Democratic leadership, is the lead sponsor of three impeachment articles against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
- A total of 53 House Democrats—about one quarter of the caucus—signed on as co‑sponsors by Tuesday’s deadline, including frontline and centrist members like Reps. Gabe Vasquez, Brittany Pettersen, Eric Sorensen, Angie Craig and Seth Moulton.
- The articles will allege obstruction of Congress (blocking facility access and withholding disaster funds), violation of public trust (due‑process and First/Fourth Amendment abuses in ICE detention), and self‑dealing over $220 million in contracts to a firm run by Noem’s spokesperson’s husband.
- DHS responded by calling the move “silly” during a “serious time” and citing a 1,300% increase in assaults on ICE officers, accusing Kelly of showmanship and neglecting crime in her district.
- Internal Democratic tensions surfaced as Rep. Susie Lee reportedly warned in a closed‑door meeting that forcing an impeachment vote on Noem could hurt swing‑seat Democrats, but several such members signed on anyway.
- Details on the depth and contours of Democratic infighting over how aggressively to move against DHS and ICE — including who is pressing impeachment versus who prefers to use appropriations and operational limits.
- Additional context on how anti‑ICE anger and protests, particularly after the Renee Good killing, are driving the internal split and shaping the party’s political calculations.
- More granular reporting on specific tactical ideas under discussion for restricting ICE/DHS operations beyond impeachment itself.
- The article broadens the context by detailing specific funding‑leverage ideas Democrats are considering, such as restricting particular DHS/ICE operations in appropriations rather than solely pursuing impeachment.
- It adds high‑profile quotes from Hakeem Jeffries and Maxwell Frost demanding a 'strong and forceful' response and accountability up the chain of command, not just for the individual officer.
- It notes Vice President JD Vance publicly defended the shooting and blamed the victim, underscoring partisan polarization around Good’s death.