Congress members blast Homeland Security chief Noem, Democrats threaten impeachment

By Richard Cowan, Nolan D. McCaskill ⁠and David Morgan

WASHINGTON, ⁠Jan ‍27 (Reuters) - Democratic leaders in Congress and at least two Republicans called for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to lose her job on Tuesday, saying dramatic changes are ‍needed following the shooting of a second U.S. citizen by immigration agents.

Democratic leaders ​in the U.S. House of Representatives said they would try to impeach her if President Donald Trump does not ​fire her. Republican senators Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said Noem should be removed. "She should be out of a job," Tillis told reporters.

Noem's agency described the two U.S. citizens killed in Minnesota ​as aggressors, though video evidence contrasts sharply with those accounts. Trump has sought to contain the damage, and Democrats have refused to back Department of Homeland Security spending, due to ​expire on Saturday.

Trump said he would not fire Noem. "I think she's doing a very good job," he told reporters at the ‌White House.

The Democratic impeachment effort faces long odds in the Republican-controlled Congress. Several Republican lawmakers have said they are troubled by the shootings, but ​so far few have publicly called for Noem's removal.

An ⁠existing impeachment resolution sponsored by Democratic Representative Robin Kelly of Illinois accuses Noem of obstructing Congress, violating public trust and using her post for personal ‌gain. The measure now has 162 cosponsors.

A majority vote in the House is required for impeachment and a two-thirds threshold in the Senate is needed to convict.

Republicans hold a 218-213 majority in the House, but Democrats ‌can try to force a vote if they win over some Republican support. In the Senate, Republicans hold ‌a 53-47 majority.

DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said lawmakers should write new laws if they don't like what the department is doing.

"It’s time they focus on protecting the American people, the work this Department is doing every ‍day under Secretary Noem’s leadership," she said in a statement.

Democratic President Joe Biden's Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was impeached in February 2024. The ⁠Senate dismissed the charges against him as unconstitutional and never held a trial.

The House impeached Trump twice during his first term when it was under Democratic control, but the Senate acquitted him both times.

(Reporting by Richard Cowan, Nolan D. McCaskill, Jasper Ward and David Morgan; Additional reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Andy Sullivan and David Gregorio)

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