A widening bloc of House Democrats is backing a formal impeachment effort against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after the fatal shooting of a woman by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.
Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL) announced she is pursuing impeachment on three grounds, stating, “Secretary Kristi Noem is an incompetent leader, a disgrace to our democracy, and I am impeaching her for obstruction of justice, violation of public trust, and self-dealing.”
In her announcement, Kelly remarked, “From Chicago to Charlotte to Los Angeles to Minneapolis, Secretary Noem is violating the Constitution while ruining—and ending—lives, and separating families,” adding that while incompetence and danger are serious, “it’s impeachable to break the rule of law.” Kelly said she previously told her constituents she would oppose Noem’s policies and emphasized, “I told my constituents and Chicagoans that I would fight against Secretary Noem’s agenda. This is me fighting back.”
Democrats’ calls for impeachment, once largely limited to the party’s progressive wing, have now gained traction among centrist lawmakers and leadership figures. House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) cited a “rising clamor” for oversight and accountability in the wake of what he referred to as a “nightmare” in Minneapolis. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), chair of the New Democrat Coalition, said Noem “must resign or be removed,” indicating he is prepared to support impeachment proceedings if President Donald Trump does not act.
At the center of the controversy is the shooting of Renee Good, a 37-year-old woman who was killed after allegedly using her vehicle to interfere with an ICE operation. Breitbart News contributor Randy Clark, a 32‑year law enforcement veteran, argued the shooting met the legal standards of ICE’s 2023 Use of Force policy, which permits deadly force when an officer has a reasonable belief of imminent danger. Clark wrote that preliminary video evidence showing the movement of Good’s vehicle toward the agent aligns with policy factors requiring force to be “objectively reasonable” from the perspective of an officer on the scene, and noted that the policy does not require officers to exhaust alternative measures when no safe or feasible option exists.
DHS Secretary Noem defended the agent’s actions, stating that Good used her vehicle as a weapon and posed a threat to federal officers. She described the incident as an act of “domestic terrorism” and maintained that the matter falls under federal jurisdiction, rejecting claims that state or local officials have investigative authority. A DHS spokesperson also revealed that ICE officers are facing a sharp rise in assaults, citing a 1,300 percent increase in attacks against them.
Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL), who initiated calls for impeachment in December 2025, previously accused Noem of misusing federal funds, obstructing congressional oversight, and violating ethical and legal standards. She also criticized Noem’s handling of deportation cases and the use of chemical agents in cities under court restrictions.
Following the Minneapolis shooting, Ramirez told Axios, “The world has changed. A white woman, a mother of three, was shot in the face and killed,” adding that she had “heard directly from a number of [swing-district members]” who are now saying, “we’ve got to do something, she’s got to go.” Ramirez, who had already been calling for impeachment prior to the incident, predicted: “You’re going to hear more and more people” calling for Noem’s removal.
Several Democratic members have joined Kelly in backing the impeachment articles, including Reps. Angie Craig (D-MN), Sean Casten (D-IL), Betty McCollum (D-MN), and others.
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) has questioned Noem’s credibility and called for an independent investigation that includes Minnesota authorities. He argued that “Minnesota has a right” to be involved in the investigation and criticized Noem for labeling the woman a domestic terrorist “without any evidence for that.” Schiff said Noem is “a reckless mouthpiece for the administration.” Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) contended the Trump administration’s approach has promoted aggression over deescalation, saying the shooting “was inevitable” under an administration that “turns everything into a war in which violence and testosterone and aggression are the only solutions.”
Some House Democrats, however, remain cautious about pursuing impeachment without a formal investigation. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) said he is “not going to support any” articles of impeachment because he does not support “jumping immediately to impeachment without having done an investigation first.” Rep. John Mannion (D-NY) emphasized the need for “hearings, a thorough investigation.” Others, such as Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), have rejected the idea entirely, stating simply: “No.”
With Republicans holding the House majority, Democrats acknowledge the long odds of removing Noem from office through impeachment. “We can’t do any hearings without Republican support,” Raskin noted.
The incident in Minneapolis also occurred amid an ongoing DHS‑led investigation into alleged childcare fraud in Minnesota, where agents are examining dozens of facilities accused of misusing federal funds. Secretary Noem had publicized the fraud investigation days before the shooting, stating that “Homeland Security Investigations @ICEGov are on the ground in Minneapolis right now conducting a massive investigation on childcare and other rampant fraud.” She also posted videos of agents inspecting suspected sites, including one with a sign misspelling “learning” as “learing.”
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