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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem faced some of her sharpest criticism yet Tuesday as senators from both parties pressed her on her leadership of the Department of Homeland Security, immigration enforcement practices and spending decisions.
Appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee for the first time since immigration officers fatally shot two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis in January, Noem fielded pointed questions from Republicans and Democrats alike.
GOP Frustration Surfaces
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) confronted Noem over her reported comments describing 37-year-old Alex Pretti and Renee Good as “domestic terrorists” after the January shooting.
“What got my attention was you blamed your ‘domestic terrorist’ statements on Stephen Miller,” Kennedy said.
Noem denied making the remark, saying any attribution came from anonymous sources in news reporting. Kennedy countered by reading the quote aloud and noting it was attributed to her on the record in a Jan. 27 article.
Kennedy also questioned Noem over reports that DHS spent hundreds of millions of dollars on television advertisements that critics say raised her personal profile. When Noem said President Donald Trump approved the ads and that they were effective, Kennedy replied that they were “effective in your name recognition.”
He further pressed her on allegations that the department steered contracts to firms that had worked with her during her tenure as South Dakota governor. Noem said those claims were inaccurate.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who has publicly called for Noem to step down, criticized her handling of FEMA funding and the administration’s deportation targets. He warned he would consider blocking Senate business if DHS failed to respond to inquiries from his office regarding immigration enforcement actions in North Carolina.
“What we’ve seen is a disaster. Under your leadership, Ms. Noem, a disaster,” Tillis said.
Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) raised concerns about whether special government employees at DHS were complying with federal work limits — a question widely viewed as referencing adviser Corey Lewandowski. Noem said department policies were being followed.
Democrats Escalate Criticism
Democrats sharply attacked Noem’s record, arguing DHS has mishandled immigration enforcement and strayed from legal and ethical norms.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the panel’s top Democrat, said in his opening statement that under Noem’s leadership DHS had been “devoid of any moral compass or respect for the rule of law.”
Lawmakers questioned her about specific allegations of misconduct by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection officers, including the use of masks in field operations and training procedures.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) challenged Noem over reports that DHS planned to purchase long-range aircraft described by critics as “luxury” jets.
“What kind of deportee justifies being flown out of the country in a luxury jet?” Whitehouse asked, referencing an image of an aircraft interior displayed during the hearing.
Noem responded that Congress had appropriated and mandated funding for a long-range command-and-control aircraft capable of seating up to 17 people for national security purposes.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) also clashed with Noem during the hearing, as the secretary cited a Connecticut case involving a homicide committed by an undocumented immigrant in an attempt to defend the administration’s enforcement policies.
Shutdown and Border Security Debate
Throughout the hearing, Noem repeatedly emphasized the administration’s claim that it had “restored” border security after what she characterized as lapses under former President Joe Biden. She urged Congress to fully fund DHS, which remains partially unfunded amid a broader government shutdown.
Noem and several Republican senators argued that Democrats were holding DHS “hostage” by failing to advance funding legislation, warning that the shutdown risks straining national security operations, including border security and cybersecurity functions.
“The latest Democrat-led shutdown of DHS is reckless, it’s unnecessary, and it undermines American national security and it harms the men and women who work at DHS and their families,” Noem said.
The hearing marked the first of two consecutive days of testimony from Noem before congressional committees. It comes amid growing bipartisan scrutiny of DHS operations, particularly as immigration enforcement intensifies and the United States continues military operations abroad.
