Eight more House Democrats have added their names to Rep. Robin Kelly’s impeachment resolution targeting Gov. Kristi Noem, bringing co-sponsors to 120 amid outrage over federal law-enforcement actions in Minnesota. The push follows two fatal encounters in Minneapolis — the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good — and released videos that have raised questions about official accounts. Prominent Democrats and governors have called for Noem to resign or face impeachment, while several Senate Democrats say they will oppose DHS funding in an appropriations bill, risking a partial government shutdown. Editor’s note: The article corrects an earlier misidentification of Noem’s role; she is governor of South Dakota.
Democrats Step Up Pressure on Kristi Noem: 120 House Co-Sponsor Impeachment Push as Calls for Resignation Grow
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has faced increased scrutiny from congressional Democrats over immigration officers' practices in the field. (Al Drago / Getty Images)(Al Drago)
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this report misidentified Kristi Noem’s federal role. Kristi Noem is the governor of South Dakota, not the U.S. secretary of homeland security. The copy below reflects the reported push by House Democrats for resignation or impeachment proceedings in response to recent federal law enforcement actions and two deadly encounters in Minneapolis.
WASHINGTON — Eight additional House Democrats have added their names to a resolution to impeach Kristi Noem, bringing the total number of co-sponsors to 120, a spokesperson for Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) said. The measure had 100 co-sponsors as of Jan. 20 but saw a sharp rise in support amid public outrage over immigration-enforcement actions and the federal deployment to Minnesota known as Operation Metro Surge.
The Democratic National Party posted on X on Sunday: "IMPEACH KRISTI NOEM." The intensified push comes as the Department of Homeland Security and federal law enforcement face renewed scrutiny after the killings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis — Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good — that have prompted lawmakers to demand accountability.
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) announced last week that he would back efforts to impeach Noem and, after Pretti’s death, said:
"The House must immediately take steps to impeach Kristi Noem."
Thompson called Pretti’s killing "sick" and said it should shock all Americans. He added that the episode reflected what he described as a broader climate of "purposeful chaos and violence" he blamed on former President Trump and Gov. Kristi Noem.
Other Democrats urged Noem to resign. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) wrote on X that Noem must step down, saying the department "is telling us not to trust our own eyes" and arguing officials could not be trusted to investigate the killings.
Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) reiterated calls for Noem to resign after Pretti’s death. Bennet wrote on X: "The President needs to remove these federal agents from our cities now. Kristi Noem must resign and the dehumanizing policies must end immediately." Welch described Immigration and Customs Enforcement as "an agency that has become a paramilitary force terrorizing American communities."
Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) posted on X that Noem "has been an abject failure" in her public role over the past year and accused her of enabling abuses by ICE, calling recent explanations about Pretti’s death "deeply shameful" and urging immediate impeachment and removal.
Other elected officials urging Noem’s resignation include New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas) and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.).
After Pretti was killed, Noem asserted he had approached Border Patrol agents with a handgun and "violently resisted" when officers attempted to disarm him. Eyewitness videos released publicly, however, do not appear to show Pretti holding a firearm in the moments before he was shot; local officials said he did hold a permit to carry a gun.
Earlier this month, Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed in her car by a federal officer. Noem said Good tried to "kill or to cause bodily harm to agents, an act of domestic terrorism." But cellphone videos and witness accounts have cast doubt on that characterization, with witnesses saying Good may have been trying to drive away.
In reaction to the two deaths and broader concerns about federal tactics, several Senate Democrats announced they would not vote for an appropriations bill that included Department of Homeland Security funding. If the Senate fails to pass the appropriations package by month’s end, a partial government shutdown is possible.
Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) told NBC’s "Meet the Press" they would be among Democrats who would vote against an appropriations bill including DHS funding. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a Saturday statement that "Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included."
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com. Editors have added the clarification above to correct an earlier error about Kristi Noem’s official role.
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