Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will testify before the House Committee on Homeland Security at a hearing officially titled “Worldwide Threats to the Homeland,” but lawmakers are expected to focus on immigration enforcement and border policy. Since May, enforcement actions in cities like Los Angeles and Chicago have prompted protests and oversight questions. Congress approved roughly $165 billion this summer to support DHS priorities, including funds to hire about 10,000 deportation officers. Noem also faces a federal probe over migrant flights to El Salvador and lawsuits alleging restricted congressional access to ICE facilities.
Noem Faces Intense House Scrutiny Over Immigration as DHS Hearing Turns to Border Policy
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks at a news conference at Harry Reid International Airport, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is set to face intense questioning from House Democrats Thursday as she testifies before the House Committee on Homeland Security. Although the hearing is officially on “Worldwide Threats to the Homeland,” lawmakers are expected to press Noem on immigration enforcement, border operations and recently expanded detention activity.
Why This Hearing Matters
It has been several months since Noem last appeared on Capitol Hill. Since May, federal immigration enforcement operations — particularly in Los Angeles and Chicago — have drawn protests and clashes between agents and activists, putting the department’s tactics under public scrutiny.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks at a news conference at Harry Reid International Airport, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Policy and Funding
Congress in July approved roughly $165 billion in funding that Congress and the administration say will support the department’s immigration and border-security priorities. That package includes money to hire about 10,000 additional deportation officers, complete sections of the U.S.-Mexico border wall and expand detention and removal capacity.
Recent Operational Changes
The administration says it returned to office with a mandate to tighten immigration controls and reduce undocumented stays. In practice, the number of people held in immigration detention has surged, and the department has continued removals — including to countries that are not migrants’ countries of origin, according to reporting and oversight questions. After an Afghan national was accused of shooting two National Guard soldiers, the department also increased domestic immigrant screening and vetting.
As prisoners stand looking out from a cell, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a tour of the Terrorist Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Legal and Oversight Challenges
Noem’s testimony comes amid legal and oversight pressures. A federal judge is investigating whether she should face contempt proceedings related to flights that transported migrants to El Salvador. Separately, several Democratic committee members are party to a lawsuit alleging the department restricted congressional access to Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities.
Points of Contention
Democrats are expected to raise allegations that aggressive enforcement has led to the mistaken detention or arrest of U.S. citizens. Homeland Security officials maintain that their officers do not target U.S. citizens for immigration enforcement, though they acknowledge arrests of individuals accused of interfering with operations.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Who Else Is Testifying
Also scheduled to appear are Joseph Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, and Michael Glasheen, operations director of the FBI’s national security branch. The committee had initially said FBI Director Kash Patel would attend, but the FBI is represented by Glasheen instead.
What To Watch: Expect sharp questioning about the use of increased funding, the surge in detention numbers, oversight of removal flights, and alleged limits on Congressional access to detention facilities.
The annual-style hearing typically covers cybersecurity, terrorism, foreign influence and other threats; this year, however, immigration and border policy are likely to dominate much of the discussion.
