Two Days Under Oath: Kristi Noem Evades, Misleads, and Denies Responsibility for DHS Failures; Voto Latino Calls for Impeachment
Washington, D.C. — Today, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem testified before the House Judiciary Committee, where she once again failed to address the systemic lack of oversight and humanitarian concerns within her agency. In response to today’s hearing and the Secretary’s refusal to acknowledge the grave consequences of her department’s actions, Voto Latino issued the following statement:
“Kristi Noem needs to be removed from office, impeached, and held accountable for her failures as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Today’s hearing made clear once again that Secretary Noem remains unfit to lead an agency of more than 260,000 employees. Since taking office, the Trump administration has repeatedly weaponized the tragedies experienced by Angel Families for political gain. Today, we saw Secretary Noem engage in that same deflection—refusing to take responsibility for the actions of agents operating with diminishing oversight and increasing impunity.”
For over a year now, this administration has allowed Secretary Noem to operate with impunity and without restraint. The results have been devastating: from the tragic shooting deaths of American citizens like Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis to documented violations of federal court orders. Secretary Noem’s answers to Rep. Jamie Raskin confirm a lack of accountability and a complete disregard for the civil rights of those her agency is sworn to protect.
Throughout her testimony, Secretary Noem refused to acknowledge the trauma American families are experiencing as a result of family separation policies and aggressive immigration enforcement. When Rep. Zoe Lofgren confronted her with several videos of ICE misconduct, Noem continued her now common mischaracterization of events and disregard of those impacted, which reflects a troubling lack of accountability and compassion.
Voto Latino joins Rep. Chuy Garcia in calling for Secretary Noem’s impeachment to ensure that the harm inflicted under her leadership does not go unanswered. We will continue to fight for the justice and safety our communities deserve.
Since June, Voto Latino has been leading the charge to ensure Secretary Noem is held accountable for her actions. Alongside 75 organizations, Voto Latino sent a letter to congressional leadership urging them to launch a full investigation into Secretary Noem’s leadership. Last month, Voto Latino also partnered with more than 50 organizations to send another letter calling on congressional leaders to support and move forward with Representative Kelly’s articles of impeachment against Secretary Noem. Now more than ever, Voto Latino remains committed to ensuring that Secretary Noem answers for the chaos that she has unleashed on our nation.
###
Voto Latino is a civic advocacy organization dedicated to educating and empowering the next generation of Latino voters while working to build a more inclusive and representative democracy. Since its founding, Voto Latino has registered over two million voters. In 2024, the organization took legal action to protect voting rights, filing multiple lawsuits in Texas, Arizona, and North Carolina to safeguard access to the ballot ahead of the elections.