Noem Doubles Down on Terrorism Claims
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem refused to apologize for labeling Renee Good and Alex Pretti — two U.S. citizens killed by immigration enforcement officers in Minneapolis — as "domestic terrorists." Appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, Noem evaded direct questions from ranking member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) about whether she would retract the false accusations. The Department of Homeland Security had repeatedly suggested that immigration officers were responding to domestic terrorism in both cases, a characterization that has drawn outrage from the victims' families and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
GOP Senator Threatens Senate Shutdown
The hearing turned into a full-scale revolt against Noem's leadership, with Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) delivering a 10-minute tirade that drew applause from the audience. "I'm putting a hold on any odd block nominations until I get a response," Tillis announced, warning that he would "deny quorum and mark up in as many committees as I can" if DHS doesn't provide answers within two weeks. The North Carolina Republican, who is not seeking re-election, submitted a letter from the Office of the Inspector General alleging that Noem has misled or stopped investigations on 10 different matters. "Does anybody have any idea how bad it has to be for the OIG in this agency to come out and do this publicly," Tillis said. "That is stonewalling, that's a failure of leadership, and that is why I've called for your resignation."
FEMA Funding and Charlotte Immigration Surge Under Fire
Tillis's broadside extended beyond the Minneapolis killings to stalled FEMA funding for hurricane recovery in northwest North Carolina and DHS's failure to respond to his requests for information on Operation Charlotte's Web — a surge of immigration officers in Charlotte last fall. The senator is also blocking President Trump's nominee to chair the Federal Reserve while the DOJ investigates current Fed Chair Jerome Powell, positioning himself as a major obstacle to the administration in his final year in office. The hearing marks Noem's first congressional appearance since the Good and Pretti killings, and her stonewalling on the "domestic terrorist" label suggests the controversy will continue to escalate.
Investigation Into Deputy Director's Anti-Semitic Comments
Adding to DHS's troubles, The New York Times reported that the department is investigating Gregory Bovino, the public face of the Trump administration's immigration crackdowns in American cities, for allegedly making disparaging comments about the U.S. attorney in Minnesota's Jewish faith. Bovino, who is Orthodox Jewish, was reported to have made the remarks in reference to the federal prosecutor overseeing potential investigations into the Minneapolis killings. The simultaneous investigations into both the killings themselves and anti-Semitic remarks by a senior DHS official paint a picture of an agency in crisis, facing mounting pressure from both parties to explain how immigration enforcement operations resulted in the deaths of two American citizens.