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By Adeola Adeosun
Weekend Night Editor
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Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 3, according to an aide for panel Chair Chuck Grassley, Politico reported on Monday.
The report comes amid mounting scrutiny of DHS immigration enforcement operations following two deadly shootings of U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis this month—Renee Nicole Good by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Jonathan Ross on January 7 and Alex Jeffrey Pretti by U.S. Border Patrol agents on Saturday.
While Grassley—an Iowa Republican and U.S. Senate president pro tempore—has been negotiating for weeks to schedule Noem's appearance as part of the committee's regular oversight responsibilities for DHS, the March hearing is expected to be dominated by questions on the agency's immigration enforcement tactics in light of the two killings.
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Newsweek reached out to DHS and the White House via email on Monday for comment.
The Context
The scheduled testimony also arrives as Democrats have intensified efforts to impeach Noem, with at least eight additional House Democrats signing on as co-sponsors to an impeachment resolution over the weekend following Pretti's death.
The resolution, first introduced by Democratic Representative Robin Kelly of Illinois after Good's killing, now has at least 120 Democratic co-sponsors, though it faces long odds in the Republican-controlled Congress.
The controversy has deepened following Noem's quick defense of the Saturday shooting, without a full investigation. Multiple videos shot from different angles appear to contradict statements by the Trump administration that the shots were fired "defensively" against Pretti as he "approached" them with a gun. Pretti was licensed to carry a concealed weapon but appears to be seen with only a phone in his hand in the videos.
U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche broke with Noem’s remarks on the fatal shooting of Pretti on Fox & Friends on Monday. He declined to support the DHS assertion that the 37-year-old ICU nurse was engaging in domestic terrorism, maintaining that the shooting remains under investigation.
Both shootings and President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown have sparked widespread protests and condemnation, with local leaders and a growing list of Democratic lawmakers demanding that federal officers leave Minnesota.
What To Know
Both Good and Pretti were 37-year-old U.S. citizens killed during immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis. During the scuffle with Pretti, agents discovered he was carrying a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and opened fire with several shots, including into his back. Officials did not say if Pretti brandished the weapon.
Some Republican senators, including North Carolina's Thom Tillis and Louisiana's Bill Cassidy, have called for a thorough investigation into the latest shooting. Other lawmakers have criticized initial comments from top administration officials that suggested the victims bore responsibility rather than the officers involved.
Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada joined calls for Noem's impeachment on Monday, telling the Associated Press (AP) that she believes Noem is attempting to "mislead the American public" about Pretti's death. Rosen, a moderate who helped Republicans end the 43-day government shutdown last year, said Noem's conduct is "deeply shameful" and she "must be impeached and removed from office immediately."
Kelly's impeachment resolution alleges three charges against Noem: obstruction of Congress, violation of public trust and self-dealing. The articles accuse Noem of blocking congressional oversight of ICE and DHS facilities, directing ICE to "make widespread warrantless arrests, forgo due process, and use violence against United States citizens," along with using her position to funnel federal funds to friends' businesses.
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What People Are Saying
Rosen, to the AP: "Kristi Noem has been an abject failure leading the Department of Homeland Security for the last year — and the abuses of power we're seeing from ICE are the latest proof that she has lost control over her own department and staff."
U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett, Texas Democrat, to Newsweek on Thursday: "When you have people that are being killed in broad daylight, if your only excuse for not signing on is nothing's gonna happen, then it almost gives a permission structure. It is almost complicit in these actions. We still have democracy, at least some portions of it at this point."
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, to Newsweek on Monday: "While ICE officers are facing a staggering 1,300 percent spike in assaults, too many politicians would rather defend criminals and attack the men and women who are enforcing our laws and did nothing while Joe Biden facilitated an invasion of tens of millions of illegal aliens into our country. It’s time they focus on protecting the American people, the work this Department is doing every day under Secretary Noem’s leadership."
Senator Ed Markey, Massachusetts Democrat, on X Saturday: "Trump’s thugs just shot and killed a man in Minneapolis. Eyewitnesses are describing it as an execution. We cannot keep living like this and people can’t keep dying like this. Stop funding DHS. Impeach Kristi Noem. Hold these agents accountable."
U.S. Representative Laura Gillen, New York Democrat, on Sunday: "She is not focused on safety or border security; she's focused on chaos and self-promotion, undermining local law enforcement and stoking violence as a result."
U.S. Representative Angie Craig, Minnesota Democrat, previously to Newsweek: "DHS Secretary Kristi Noem is out of control and is not following the law. She's not following the law. Her agents aren't following the law as they are, you know, detaining immigrants in our community, detaining U.S. citizens in our community and not following the law in allowing duly elected members of Congress to perform our congressional oversight jobs here in Minnesota."
What Happens Next
Noem's March 3 testimony is expected to be contentious, with senators likely to press her on DHS enforcement tactics and the Minneapolis deadly shootings.
Reporting from AP contributed to this article.
Update 1/26/26, 10:45 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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