Kristi Noem stands by the words accusing the American citizens who were killed in Minneapolis of terrorism
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US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stands by her words calling the actions of two US citizens who were shot dead by immigration police in Minneapolis “domestic terrorism.”
Noem, who is overseeing US President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, was pressed for his statements by Democrats and some Republicans during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday.
In what was first billed as an effort to crack down on fraud in Minnesota, the Department of Homeland Security sent hundreds of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection officers to the state. They were met by protesters who organized marches, patrolled neighborhoods and did ICE work with whistles and prepared food for immigrants who were afraid to leave their homes.
Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot and killed by an ICE officer on Jan. 7, starting violent protests demanding an end to the operation. Then on Jan. 24, Customs and Border Protection officers opened fire on another Minnesota resident, Alex Pretti, 37, who had been filming law enforcement activities.
That death led to cries for accountability and transparency. Noem, whose initial comments exposed Good and Pretti as abusers, has been heavily criticized by Democrats and even some Republicans, who have called for him to resign.
US government officials say ICE agents shot and killed Alex Pretti at a Minneapolis protest because he had a gun on him and, according to US President Donald Trump’s homeland security adviser Stephen Miller, ‘could have been a killer.’ Andrew Chang breaks down several video angles of the shooting, moment by moment, to understand how accurate the government’s first account is. Photos provided by The Canadian Press, Reuters and Getty Images
Noem aims to provide ‘truthful information’
Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the committee, repeatedly asked Noem if he would retract his statements about Good and Pretti, as well as his similar remarks about another American citizen who survived after being shot five times during a confrontation between federal agents in Chicago.
“I was receiving reports from law enforcement, from agents who were at the scene,” said Noem, calling the situation chaotic but refusing to retract or apologize for his statements. “I absolutely strive to provide factual information.”
Noem, who was appointed by Trump last year, faced tough questions from lawmakers about the president’s anti-immigrant tactics during the hearing, his first appearance at the conference since the killings of Good and Pretti. The outrage caused by their deaths has prompted the Trump administration to shift its strategy, away from large-scale city-centered campaigns and toward a more targeted approach.
Under Noem, thousands of masked federal agents have been sent to American cities, where they have swept through neighborhoods looking for potential immigration violators and clashed with residents and protesters.
During testimony Tuesday, US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem refused to retract or apologize for her comments in January calling two US citizens shot and killed by immigration police in Minneapolis domestic terrorists. Accounts from local officials and bystander video contradict his comments. Noem’s hearing was interrupted at times by shouting protesters.
Congressional Democrats have refused to approve new funding for his department without changes to immigration enforcement policies. Funding for the 260,000-employee department expired last month, but most immigration enforcement and national security jobs are deemed essential and continue.
Noem said Tuesday that 650 federal agents remain in Minnesota, down from about 3,000 in January.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Republican chairman of the committee, acknowledged during his opening remarks that “mistakes have been made” by the administration but defended immigration officials, saying they “should never be threatened or harmed while enforcing our laws.”
Trump said mass deportations were needed after high levels of illegal immigration under his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, and defended Noem’s job performance.
House Democrats launched an effort in January to impeach Noem, saying immigration agents under his leadership had violated the civil rights of US citizens, that he had blocked congressional oversight of immigration detention centers and that he had awarded government contracts to Republican-affiliated firms and people connected to him.
The impeachment effort may have failed, as the House of Representatives is controlled by Republicans.
As news continues about the shooting of Minneapolis woman Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent, a new video shows the encounter from the officer’s perspective — including footage showing Good turning the steering wheel and driving forward before the officer opened fire.
War on Iran was raised during the hearing
Grassley asked Noem about safeguards against possible sleeper cells and terrorism amid the US-Israel war against Iran. Noem did not reveal specific details but said that his department was closely monitoring the events on social media and the conversations of immigrants who entered the United States before.
“We’re working every day to find them and make sure we prevent the next attack,” said Noem, the former governor of South Dakota.
Trump’s immigration policies, once an area of strength, could now be a liability for Republicans trying to retain Congress in November’s midterm elections. A Reuters/Ipsos poll in February found that while a majority of Americans support deporting immigrants without legal status, nearly 60 percent think immigration agents have gone too far.
Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican who is not seeking re-election in November, strongly criticized Noem’s handling of immigration detention, saying his criticism of Good and Pretti had destroyed faith in law enforcement.
“We’re starting to make the American people think that deporting people is wrong. It’s the exact opposite,” Tillis said. “The way you are going to fire them is wrong.”
Noem is scheduled to appear before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
