Bipartisan Calls to Oust DHS Secretary Noem Intensify as House Democratic Leaders Threaten Impeachment and GOP Senators Urge Her to Step Down
Bipartisan pressure for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s ouster has surged after controversial immigration raids and a fatal ICE shooting, with Rep. Robin Kelly formally introducing three articles of impeachment (obstruction of Congress, violation of public trust, and self‑dealing) and co‑sponsorship swelling to well over 140 (reports vary up to 162), prompting House leaders Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar to warn President Trump to fire her or face impeachment proceedings. At the same time, Republican Sens. Thom Tillis and Lisa Murkowski publicly urged Noem to step down even as the White House and many GOP lawmakers defended her; Democrats are also weighing appropriations and operational limits as alternative leverage amid internal debate over strategy.
📌 Key Facts
- The immediate catalyst for the push against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem were federal immigration operations in Minnesota — notably the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti during 'Operation Metro Surge' — which sparked protests and intensified anti‑ICE anger.
- On Jan. 14 Rep. Robin Kelly introduced three articles of impeachment accusing Noem of obstructing Congress (blocking facility access and withholding disaster funds), violating the public trust through due‑process and First/Fourth Amendment abuses in ICE detention, and self‑dealing tied to roughly $220 million in contracts to a firm run by Noem’s spokesperson’s husband.
- Support for Kelly’s resolution surged in the House, growing rapidly to roughly 162 Democratic co‑sponsors — more than three‑quarters of the caucus — while no House Republicans have backed it; Kelly retains the procedural ability to force a floor vote but has not scheduled one.
- House Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar issued a joint ultimatum telling President Trump to fire Noem or Democrats 'will commence impeachment proceedings,' and Judiciary Democrats led by Rep. Jamie Raskin said they will open formal investigations to assemble an evidentiary record.
- Democrats are internally divided over tactics: some members press for impeachment while others prefer using appropriations and operational limits on DHS/ICE to constrain enforcement; centrist and swing‑district Democrats have warned of political risk even as many such members became co‑sponsors.
- The controversy produced bipartisan pressure: Republican Senators Thom Tillis and Lisa Murkowski publicly said Noem should step down or that they have lost confidence, while other Republicans — including House leaders and Sen. Rick Scott — defended her and labeled the impeachment effort partisan.
- The White House and DHS defended Noem — President Trump said she is 'doing a very good job' and will not step down — while DHS called the impeachment move 'silly during a serious time' and cited a large uptick in assaults on ICE officers; the administration has also reshuffled DHS command in Minnesota (recalling Greg Bovino and installing Tom Homan).
📰 Source Timeline (22)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 28, 2026
3:25 PM
Homeland Security's Kristi Noem faces rising calls for her firing or impeachment
New information:
- House Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar issued a joint statement saying, “Kristi Noem should be fired immediately, or we will commence impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives.”
- Republican Sens. Thom Tillis and Lisa Murkowski are quoted on the record saying Noem’s actions in Minnesota are “disqualifying” and that it is “probably time for her to step down.”
- PBS details that Noem’s specific public characterizations of Alex Pretti as an 'attacker' and Renee Good’s killing as an 'act of domestic terrorism' have been undermined by facts on the ground and helped isolate her on Capitol Hill.
- President Trump, asked directly whether Noem will step down, replied “No” and later told Fox News he has confidence in her and credited her and Tom Homan with having 'closed up the border.'
- The piece reports that Noem’s close alliance with Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino—who has now been recalled from Minnesota as Tom Homan assumes command—has further eroded her support in Congress.
- The article frames the moment as an 'inflection point' in Noem’s tenure, with her future tied to ongoing DHS funding talks where Democrats are threatening a shutdown unless Trump’s deportation agenda is constrained.
1:54 PM
2 Republicans call for Noem to step down, Democrats' impeachment threats emerge
New information:
- CBS frames the moment as a turning point where criticism of Kristi Noem over a new fatal shooting in Minnesota is now coming from both Democrats and some Republicans in Congress.
- The piece emphasizes that the latest Minnesota killing by federal immigration agents is the proximate trigger for these bipartisan calls for Noem to step down.
- It reinforces that Democrats are not only criticizing Noem but actively discussing impeachment as a response to her handling of Operation Metro Surge and the shootings.
1:29 AM
Republicans turn on Noem, demand resignation
New information:
- Sens. Thom Tillis (R‑N.C.) and Lisa Murkowski (R‑Alaska), both of whom voted to confirm Noem, now say she should step down, with Tillis stating 'She should be out of a job.'
- Democrats who backed Noem’s confirmation, including Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, now publicly say she is 'inept,' 'absolutely incompetent,' and 'not up to the job,' with Shaheen explicitly demanding she resign or be removed.
- Some Senate Democrats like Tim Kaine and Gary Peters argue that simply replacing Noem is insufficient because they expect an equally hard‑line successor and say DHS itself must be 'fixed.'
- Sen. Elissa Slotkin, another Democratic Yes vote on Noem, says she will have 'more to say' later, signaling internal Democratic reassessment of her support.
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is quoted tying impeachment threats directly to Trump’s decision, saying if the president does not fire Noem he will push ahead on impeachment.
- President Trump is reported doubling down, publicly defending Noem as doing a 'very good job' despite mounting bipartisan calls for her ouster.
1:28 AM
Two Republican senators say it’s time for Noem’s departure from DHS
New information:
- Sen. Thom Tillis explicitly called on President Trump to fire DHS Secretary Kristi Noem over her handling of immigration enforcement in Minnesota, saying 'what she’s done in Minnesota should be disqualifying' and 'she should be out of a job.'
- Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she has 'lost confidence' in Noem, is 'disappointed' in her leadership, and that the country 'would be better served with new leadership' at DHS, though she stopped short of directly urging Trump to fire her.
- The article confirms House Democratic leaders have warned Trump to fire Noem or face impeachment, and that dozens of Democrats were already backing impeachment efforts even before Alex Pretti’s killing.
- It notes some Republicans, such as Sen. Rick Scott, continue to defend Noem, saying she is 'working her butt off,' underscoring internal GOP division.
- The piece highlights that Trump and top aides initially labeled Alex Pretti a 'domestic terrorist' and aggressor, claims now contradicted by widely publicized video, and that Trump has since tried to 'turn down the temperature' by reshuffling DHS leadership in Minnesota.
12:28 AM
Senate GOP critics say Noem ‘needs to go’ amid fallout from Minneapolis shootings
New information:
- Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she would not support Kristi Noem again, believes 'it probably is time for her to step down,' and urges President Trump to reconsider having her as DHS secretary.
- Sen. Thom Tillis says Noem 'needs to go' and is '100%' in favor of her removal, while stopping short of backing impeachment and framing it as a management decision.
- Tillis directly blames Noem and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller for labeling Alex Pretti a terrorist 'before they even had any incident report whatsoever,' calling that 'amateur hour at its worst' and saying they are squandering an opportunity for broader immigration reform.
- President Trump publicly responds by saying Noem is doing a 'very good job' and that she will not step down.
12:13 AM
Tillis becomes first GOP senator to call for "incompetent" Noem to step down
New information:
- Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina became the first Republican senator to explicitly call for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to resign, saying, "I think she should go" and calling her "incompetent."
- Tillis said his loss of confidence stems not only from DHS’s handling of the Minneapolis immigration clampdown and the killing of Alex Pretti, but also from what he described as a year with no 'point of pride' for Noem.
- Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska later said she, too, has 'lost confidence' in Noem and that the country would be 'better served with new leadership' at DHS.
- President Trump responded by telling reporters Noem is 'doing a very good job' and 'is not stepping down,' even as CBS reports she faced internal questions at the White House over the Pretti shooting and may shift focus back toward the southern border.
January 27, 2026
10:16 PM
Three quarters of House Democrats now back Kristi Noem's impeachment
New information:
- Co‑sponsorship of the Noem impeachment articles has risen from 'more than 140' Democrats (prior reporting) to 162, more than three‑quarters of the caucus.
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, along with Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar, issued a formal joint statement: 'Kristi Noem should be fired immediately, or we will commence impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives.'
- House Judiciary ranking member Jamie Raskin says he and other Democratic committee leaders will open a formal investigation into Noem to assemble an evidentiary record for impeachment.
- New, notable co‑sponsors include centrist and swing‑district Democrats such as Vicente Gonzalez, Susie Lee, Janelle Bynum, Frank Mrvan, Eugene Vindman, and ex‑Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.
- The article notes there is still no Republican support for the impeachment articles, a practical barrier in a narrowly GOP‑controlled House and Republican‑run Senate.
9:15 PM
Democrats demand Kristi Noem be fired or warn impeachment will follow
New information:
- House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar issued a joint statement demanding Kristi Noem be fired and warning the House will commence impeachment proceedings if she remains.
- Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on House Judiciary, publicly urged Chairman Jim Jordan to open Judiciary impeachment proceedings against Noem if she is not removed.
- President Trump, speaking to reporters before leaving for Iowa, said Noem will not step down and that he believes she is doing a 'very good job,' explicitly rejecting calls to fire her.
8:41 PM
Fetterman calls on Trump to fire Kristi Noem over Minneapolis
New information:
- Sen. John Fetterman issued a public statement directly urging President Trump to immediately fire DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, saying she is 'betraying DHS’s core mission' and 'trashing your border security legacy.'
- Fetterman, who supported Noem’s confirmation and calls himself a border hawk, now says Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis 'should stand down and immediately end' and has become 'dangerous urban theatre.'
- Fetterman stated he will not vote to partially shut down the government over the Minneapolis shootings, breaking with most Senate Democrats who have threatened to block DHS/ICE funding without new limits.
- The article reiterates that dozens of House Democrats, led by Hakeem Jeffries, have threatened impeachment proceedings against Noem if Trump does not remove her, and includes Jeffries’ quote calling DHS a 'paramilitary organization.'
7:42 PM
Jeffries says Democrats will move to impeach Noem if Trump doesn't fire her
New information:
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, joined by Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, issued a formal statement saying Democrats will "commence impeachment proceedings" against Kristi Noem if she is not fired.
- More than 140 of the 213 House Democrats have now signed onto Rep. Robin Kelly's Jan. 14 impeachment resolution, indicating majority support within the caucus.
- Rep. Jamie Raskin publicly urged Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan to start impeachment proceedings and said that if Republicans refuse, he will work with Oversight and Homeland Security Democrats to launch an impeachment inquiry into Noem’s conduct, citing potential 'treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors.'
- The CBS piece emphasizes that the leadership move comes after Border Patrol agents fatally shot Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, on top of Renee Good’s killing, and notes Senate Democrats are simultaneously vowing to block a DHS funding package before Friday’s shutdown deadline.
- CBS reports that Noem is facing internal scrutiny inside the administration but is expected to stay on; Trump told reporters she is 'doing a very good job' and her focus will shift from interior raids to the southern border and other priorities.
7:06 PM
House Republicans blast Noem impeachment resolution as 'partisan stunt,' as Dems fail to reach across aisle
New information:
- Article specifies that Rep. Robin Kelly introduced the Noem impeachment resolution on Jan. 14, 2026 and that 146 of 213 House Democrats have signed on as sponsors.
- House Republicans Pat Fallon and Andy Biggs publicly dismiss the Noem impeachment effort as a 'messaging exercise,' 'partisan stunt' and 'without factual or constitutional basis.'
- Fallon and Biggs explicitly contrast Democrats’ Noem effort with their own earlier impeachment articles against Alejandro Mayorkas, arguing Mayorkas 'willfully refused to enforce federal law' while Noem is 'doing her job.'
6:40 PM
Trump on Noem's future at DHS
New information:
- In a brief Q&A with reporters before traveling to Iowa, President Trump said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem is not going to step down from her role.
- The exchange came as CBS correspondents noted mounting scrutiny over immigration raids in Minnesota.
6:37 PM
Hakeem Jeffries' threat to Trump: Fire Kristi Noem or we move to impeachment
New information:
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, along with Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar, issued a joint public statement warning President Trump to fire DHS Secretary Kristi Noem or Democrats 'will commence impeachment proceedings.'
- Jeffries confirms that more than two‑thirds of House Democrats now co‑sponsor the Noem impeachment articles, indicating support has moved well beyond the roughly 100 co‑sponsors previously reported.
- Trump publicly responded that he is 'not going to oust' Noem and said he thinks she is 'doing a very good job,' signaling the White House will not bend to the ultimatum.
- Rep. Robin Kelly, who authored the impeachment articles, retains the procedural power to force a House vote but has not yet said if or when she will do so.
January 20, 2026
8:51 PM
House Democrats' support for impeaching Kristi Noem is exploding
New information:
- Number of House Democratic co-sponsors for the Robin Kelly impeachment articles has climbed to 100, nearly half the 213-member caucus.
- Axios reports support has 'nearly doubled' in a week, signaling a rapid mainstreaming of the impeachment push among Democrats.
- Rep. Jared Huffman, who had criticized past impeachment efforts, has now signed on, saying the circumstances are 'so extreme that a message needs to be sent.'
- Axios frames the Noem impeachment effort as an early signal of who Democrats may target first if they retake the House.
- Kelly’s office says they expect the co-sponsor count to continue growing, though no Republicans have expressed support.
January 14, 2026
11:12 PM
"Performative bullsh*t": Some Democrats fume as Kristi Noem impeachment gains steam
New information:
- 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.
5:32 PM
Kristi Noem faces impeachment effort in House as 70 Dems push obstruction of Congress charge
New information:
- 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.
3:56 PM
Number of House Democrats backing Noem impeachment tops 60
New information:
- 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.
January 13, 2026
8:42 PM
Scoop: Over 50 House Democrats sign onto Kristi Noem articles of impeachment
New information:
- 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.
4:58 PM
Democratic infighting ignites over surge of anti-ICE anger
New information:
- 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.
January 10, 2026
3:31 PM
Congress debating possible consequences for ICE after Renee Good's death
New information:
- 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.
January 09, 2026