US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem looks on before the start of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on oversight of the Department of Homeland Security, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on March 3, 2026.
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Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa., criticized Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday about DHS law enforcement officials shooting and killing two people during the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.
“Mistakes have been made,” Grassley said in his opening remarks. “Let’s make it clear. One death is too many. But officers should never be threatened or harmed while enforcing our laws,”
Noem is making her first appearance before a congressional panel since the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents. Noem’s appearance Tuesday is the first of two this week. She is due to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
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Funding for DHS lapsed last month, and Democrats have so far refused to back an appropriations bill over frustrations with the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics. DHS still has billions of dollars at its disposal to keep some programs running thanks to last year’s massive tax-and-spending bill.
Democrats in Congress have been sharply critical of Noem’s leadership of DHS. Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., introduced articles of impeachment for Noem in January after federal officers killed Good and Pretti.
Friends and family members of individuals in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention were present at the hearing. They held signs and shouted in Noem’s direction as she took her seat in a Senate committee room on Tuesday.
Another protestor, who introduced herself as a former employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is part of DHS, interrupted Noem’s testimony and was forcibly removed from the room.
“Under your leadership, the Homeland Security Department has been devoid of any moral compass or respect for the rule of law,” Senate Judiciary Ranking Member Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said at the hearing. “Without hesitation or remorse, DHS agents have wreaked havoc in our cities … and acted with unspeakable cruelty against children, immigrant families, and American citizens.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
