Kristi Noem grilled over ICE violations and hurricane relief failures in tense hearing
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem faced tough questions during her second day of testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. Lawmakers pressed her on ICE's controversial operations, court violations, and her own past statements about high-profile incidents.
The hearing covered a wide range of issues, from mass deportations to hurricane relief and allegations of misconduct within the agency.
Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC) challenged Noem over the Department of Homeland Security's response to Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. The secretary also addressed the impact of a recent shutdown on the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, warning of potential gaps in critical operations.
Noem defended ICE's acting director, Todd Lyons, while criticising what she called 'activist judges' interfering with immigration enforcement. She refused to retract her earlier remarks about Alex Pretti and Renee Good, whom she had labelled 'domestic terrorists' after their deaths in Minneapolis. Instead, she offered an apology but cited ongoing investigations as the reason for standing by her comments.
The most intense exchanges focused on ICE's record under the current administration. A federal judge in Minnesota had documented 47 violations by ICE employees since January 2025, including 32 warrantless detentions, 10 cases of evidence tampering, and five instances of coercion. Courts have already imposed $2.1 million in fines and ordered the release of 18 detainees, though no criminal charges have been filed so far.
Despite these findings, Noem claimed she was unaware of any ICE officials lying to judges or breaking court orders. Her testimony came as the Department of Justice continues its own investigation into the agency's conduct.
The hearing highlighted deep divisions over immigration enforcement and accountability within ICE. Noem's defence of the agency's leadership and her responses to allegations of misconduct will likely face further scrutiny. Meanwhile, the documented violations and ongoing probes suggest the controversy is far from over.
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