An Illinois Democratic congresswoman has officially urged an investigation into Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The call comes amid accusations of illegal activities, misuse of federal funds, and breaches of ethical and legal duties in her management of the Department of Homeland Security.
On Thursday, December 11, Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL) sent a letter to the House Judiciary Committee requesting an investigation into Secretary Kristi Noem, calling her actions at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “potentially impeachable.” Ramirez charges that Noem has repeatedly broken the law, misused taxpayer funds, and misled both Congress and the public. In her letter to the Judiciary Committee, she further states that Noem has “disregard[ed] the rule of law” and engaged in conduct that “violate[s] her oath of office.”
The congresswoman’s letter highlights several allegations, including a $200 million taxpayer-funded public relations campaign by DHS. This initiative reportedly involved vendors with personal connections to Noem and other high-ranking agency officials. Furthermore, the congresswoman criticized Noem for authorizing a partisan video shown at airports during the government shutdown that began on October 1, claiming it violated the Hatch Act. She also took issue with the purchase of two Gulfstream jets costing $172 million during Noem’s tenure.
Additionally, the congresswoman accuses Noem of making misleading or false public statements. These include minimizing the detention of U.S. citizens by ICE and misrepresenting the outcomes of deportation cases like that of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. She argues that under Noem’s leadership, DHS has used excessive force, including deploying chemical weapons contrary to court orders. One specific incident mentioned involved DHS agents using such tactics in Chicago, defying a federal judge’s ban.
During a House Homeland Security Committee hearing, Ramirez addressed Noem directly: “Your options are limited. Either you’re going to resign, Trump’s going to fire you, or you will be impeached.” She accused Noem of lying “with impunity,” rejecting the system of checks and balances, and ignoring oversight from both Congress and the courts. “You have misused resources appropriated by Congress. You’ve engaged in unethical behavior,” Ramirez remarked during the hearing, adding, “I’ve already called for your resignation. You may remember, I hand delivered my request to you back in May.”
The congresswoman shared her letter and a video of the hearing on social media, declaring, “Yes, I’m taking the first step towards Noem’s impeachment” and asserting, “The people will have accountability.”
This move occurs as Secretary Noem, a former governor, has been leading an assertive immigration enforcement strategy. During her tenure, DHS reported a “record-breaking” 2.5 million undocumented immigrants leaving the U.S. since Trump’s second inauguration, with over 600,000 deportations carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and nearly two million additional self-deportations. DHS has also introduced a mobile app, “CBP Home,” which offers stipends and flights to aid removals.
Recently, Noem has gained national attention for her proposed travel bans, targeting countries she claims send “killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies” into the United States. She stated her recommendation for a “full travel ban on every damn country” that poses such a threat. President Trump has expressed his approval of Noem, praising her leadership at the border as “fantastic” and stating he is “so happy with her.”
While impeachment efforts against cabinet members have been rare in modern history, they have become more frequent under the current administration. Ramirez’s move mirrors similar recent actions by fellow Democrats Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), who filed articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI), who has sought the impeachment of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth over concerns stemming from a fatal military operation involving suspected narcotics-trafficking vessels.
Ramirez has long been a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s immigration policies and DHS leadership. In prior statements, she has referred to ICE as a “terrorist organization,” accused DHS of “facilitating the disappearance of our neighbors,” and declared herself “a proud Guatemalan before I’m an American.”
