Homeland Security Oversight

At a Dec. 11 House Homeland Security Committee hearing, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was sharply pressed by Democrats — including Rep. Bennie Thompson, who urged her to resign — over immigration policy, alleged unlawful deportations (including veterans), withheld grants and asylum vetting, as protesters briefly disrupted testimony and Noem defended DHS as combating transnational crime while calling the D.C. National Guard shooting a “terrorist attack.” Thompson, who during the session called the shooting an “unfortunate accident,” later told CNN he “misspoke,” saying he did not stand by that phrasing and meant to challenge Noem’s assertions about who approved the suspect’s asylum application.