Homeland security secretary Kristi Noem has refused to retract her description of two US citizens killed by immigration enforcement officers in Minneapolis as 'domestic terrorists'. Appearing before the Senate judiciary committee, Noem evaded a question from Democratic senator Dick Durbin about whether she would withdraw the accusation against Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Noem told the hearing that she was acting on reports from agents at the scene, which she described as a 'chaotic scene'. She also said that there are approximately 650 federal immigration agents still stationed in Minnesota, down from around 3,000 during Operation Metro Surge. Democratic senator Amy Klobuchar pressed her on when the numbers would return to the original footprint of about 150 officers.
Democrats criticised Noem over alleged arrest quotas, with senator Chris Coons citing public comments by Trump adviser Stephen Miller about a daily target of 3,000 arrests. Noem insisted there were 'no quotas' and that operations were 'targeted law enforcement'. Durbin accused the Department of Homeland Security under Noem of being 'devoid of any moral compass or respect for the rule of law'. Senator Cory Booker called for her resignation, a call echoed by Republican senator Thom Tillis.
Some Republicans also questioned Noem’s leadership. Senator John Kennedy raised reports of $220m spent on television advertisements featuring Noem, awarded to a strategy group run by her former spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin. Noem said she had no role in selecting the contractors, stating that career officials handled the competitive bid process.
