Illinois Congresswoman Robin Kelly files articles of impeachment for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem
U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Illinois) on Wednesday formally introduced articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, accusing her of obstructing congressional oversight of immigration enforcement efforts and abusing her position for personal gain.
"Secretary Noem has called my impeachment effort 'silly.' I want to tell her right now: Secretary Noem, you have violated your oath of office and there will be consequences," Kelly said Wednesday at a press conference on Capitol Hill. "I am watching you. Members of Congress are watching you. The American people are watching you. And most of all, we are not liking what we are seeing. If you believe impeachment is 'silly,' then you are not taking your job or our Constitution seriously."
Kelly said she filed three articles of impeachment against Noem.
The first accuses Noem of obstruction for improperly denying members of Congress access to ICE facilities.
A second accuses Noem of violating the public trust for directing federal agents to arrest people without warrants, to use tear gas against citizens without justification, and ignoring due process.
The third accuses Noem of abusing her power for personal benefit by bypassing the normal contract process to fund a $200 million ad campaign for recruiting ICE agents, and awarding the contract to a company run by a close friend, who is also the husband of Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin.
In a statement responding to the impeachment effort, the Department of Homeland Security said, "How silly during a serious time."
"As ICE officers are facing a 1,300% increase in assaults against them, Rep. Kelly is more focused on showmanship and fundraising clicks than actually cleaning up her crime-ridden Chicago district. We hope she would get serious about doing her job to protect American people, which is what this Department is doing under Secretary Noem," a DHS spokesperson added.
Kelly said 70 other members of the House – all of them Democrats – have signed on as co-sponsors of the impeachment effort.
Nonetheless, the effort isn't expected to succeed with Republicans controlling both the House and Senate. Even if the impeachment were approved on the House floor with a Republican majority, it would then go to the Senate where it would likely be dead on arrival, similar to the impeachment of then-DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024, as it would require a two-thirds majority vote. The Senate quickly rejected the charges against Mayorkas, ending a months-long effort by Republicans to punish him for his policies on the southern U.S. border.
Kelly first announced her bid to impeach Noem after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis last week.
In an interview with CBS News Chicago last week, Kelly called the shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis "murder" and said she is ready to take action.
"We just can't sit back, we just can't sit on the sidelines," Kelly said.
Kelly was also vocally opposed to the federal immigration operations in Chicago dubbed Operation Midway Blitz, which also involved two shootings by ICE and Customs and Border Patrol agents, one of which was fatal.
"Secretary Noem has brought her reign of terror to the Chicagoland area, L.A., New Orleans, Charlotte, Durham and communities from north to south, east to west," Kelly said. "She needs to be held accountable for her actions."
Note: The video above is from a previous report.