() Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testified before a House panel Wednesday about the department’s budget and faced questions about the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Texas, said she believes Noem was not interested in having actual dialogue with committee members and said she was “disingenuous in her answers and came with canned talking points.”
One of the topics that came up during the committee meeting was due process for the immigrant deportations DHS has been carrying out.
“She did not have accountability for the fact that the administration has completely avoided due process” in deporting immigrants, Johnson said.
During testimony, Noem was questioned about the arrests of Democratic lawmakers, including Newark, New Jersey Mayor Ras Baraka on Friday after they were attempting to visit a detention center there. Noem called the visit “lawlessness,” and said it should not be tolerated.
Johnson said since members of Congress have oversight responsibility over ICE, and that contrary to Noem’s claims, they do not need an appointment to see an ICE facility.
“We have an obligation to go in, and we have a legal right to inspect these facilities at any time of our choosing,” Johnson said. “This tour thing is outrageous; it’s not a tour but a very serious matter.”
