The Real Reason Democrats Are Threatening Noem Impeachment, One Member Says

Americans should not be surprised by the House Democratic leader’s threat to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, says the chair of the House border security subcommittee.

“If you remember, just two years ago, Republicans conducted a very thorough investigation, and we impeached [DHS] Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for failure to perform his duties,” Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., said. “And so, should we be surprised that now we’re seeing Democrats try to come in and impeach the current Homeland Security secretary?”

Guest serves as chairman of the House Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement, and is a member of the Committee on Homeland Security.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., on Tuesday called on Trump to fire Noem, adding that if he did not, “we will commence impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives.”

Jeffries’ threat comes after a Border Patrol agent shot and killed Alex Pretti, 37, on Jan. 24, and an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good, also 37, on Jan. 7 amid anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis.

Almost immediately after Pretti’s death, Noem referred to Pretti as a “domestic terrorist,” and DHS claimed in a post on X that he “wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.”

Video of the incident appears to conflict with Noem’s account. Facing backlash for her comments, Noem told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday that she and her team were working with the “best information we had at the time.”

Jeffries’ impeachment threat, according to Guest, was predictable “regardless of who served” as the DHS secretary, adding, “the Democrats saw what Republicans did, and I think that they are trying to mirror our desire to impeach Secretary Mayorkas.”

Jeffries’ office did not respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment.

House Republicans voted to impeach Mayorkas in February 2024, accusing him of failing to secure America’s border and enforce immigration laws. The Democrat-controlled Senate never voted to convict Mayorkas on the House charges.

Guest believes “the bulk” of Republican lawmakers will continue to support Noem as homeland security secretary as long as “she has the support of the president and the administration.”

The agency will continue to enforce the laws Congress has passed, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told The Daily Signal when asked about Jeffries’ impeachment threat.

McLaughlin says Congress should change U.S. immigration laws if lawmakers disagree, and accused politicians of defending “criminals” who “attack the men and women who are enforcing our laws.”

“It’s time they focus on protecting the American people, the work this Department is doing every day under Secretary Noem’s leadership,” McLaughlin said.

Guest acknowledges there is a difference of opinion on the issue of interior immigration enforcement even among GOP members of Congress.

Following Pretti’s death, some Republican lawmakers have called for a “softer approach to interior enforcement” that would only focus on the arrest of illegal aliens “who have criminal convictions or who have orders of removal by the immigration court,” Guest explains.

Still, many GOP lawmakers want a “broader population” of illegal aliens apprehended.

“I think we can find that middle ground,” Guest said.

While the administration should not “completely remove agents from Minnesota” because “you have to continue to remain steadfast in your mission,” Guest added, “I don’t see it as a retreat if the administration were to decide to redeploy those officers to other cities across the country.”

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