Noem Defends Immigration Tactics, Faces Bipartisan Senate Scrutiny
Noem refused to retract labeling two Americans killed by immigration agents 'domestic terrorists' while facing bipartisan questions about DHS tactics, spending and investigations.
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Overview
Kristi Noem defended DHS immigration enforcement at a tense Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday and refused to retract calling Alex Pretti and Renee Good 'domestic terrorists'.
Her testimony followed the fatal shootings of Pretti on January 24 and Good on January 7 and occurred amid a partial DHS shutdown after Senate Democrats blocked funding over enforcement practices.
Senators from both parties pressed Noem, with Sen. Thom Tillis calling her leadership a 'disaster' and Sen. John Kennedy questioning a roughly $200 million to $220 million ad campaign.
Noem told senators DHS had 650 personnel in Minneapolis and said the administration had removed nearly 3 million people illegally present, including 2.2 million who left voluntarily and more than 675,000 deported.
The FBI is leading investigations into the killings, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Bryan has pursued a contempt hearing for U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen and others, and lawmakers pressed for independent probes as funding talks continue.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the hearing as a controversy focused on accountability and alleged misinformation by foregrounding the shootings, protesters and lawmakers' sharp questioning. Editorial choices—headlines like "grilled" or "didn't retract," selective placement of families' grief, and recurring evaluative language—collectively emphasize scrutiny of Noem and DHS rather than a neutral procedural account.
FAQ
Alex Pretti was a 37-year-old American intensive care nurse for the VA, shot and killed by Border Patrol agents on January 24, 2026, in Minneapolis while observing protests. Renee Good, a mother of two, was shot and killed by an ICE agent on January 7, 2026, in the same city amid immigration enforcement operations.
Noem labeled them as such based on initial reports from agents on the ground, alleging they were impeding or stalking ICE operations, though she later clarified she described the incidents as appearing to be domestic terrorism and video evidence contradicted these claims.
The FBI is leading investigations into both killings; no DOJ or FBI probe was initially announced, and there are calls for independent probes amid challenges in prosecuting federal agents due to immunity presumptions.
Senators from both parties questioned DHS tactics, a $200-220 million ad campaign, spending, and Noem's leadership, with Sen. Tillis calling it a 'disaster' and demands for retractions on the 'domestic terrorists' label.
Operation Metro Surge was an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis involving ICE and Border Patrol raids, protests, and aggressive tactics, leading to the shootings of Good and Pretti and subsequent scrutiny.
