A Democrat congresswoman from Illinois has formally called for an investigation into Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, citing allegations of unlawful conduct, misuse of federal funds, and violations of ethical and legal obligations in her role overseeing the Department of Homeland Security.
On Thursday, December 11, Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL) sent a letter to the House Judiciary Committee requesting an investigation into Secretary Kristi Noem, calling her actions at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “potentially impeachable.” Ramirez charges that Noem has repeatedly broken the law, misused taxpayer funds, and misled both Congress and the public. In her letter to the Judiciary Committee, she further states that Noem has “disregard[ed] the rule of law” and engaged in conduct that “violate[s] her oath of office.”
The letter cites multiple allegations, including a $200 million taxpayer-funded DHS public relations campaign, which reportedly involved vendors with personal ties to Noem and senior officials at the agency. Ramirez also points to Noem’s authorization of a partisan video that was displayed in airports during the government shutdown beginning October 1, calling it a violation of the Hatch Act. In addition, Ramirez criticizes the purchase of two Gulfstream jets for $172 million under Noem’s leadership.
Ramirez also asserts that Noem has made numerous misleading or false public statements, including downplaying the detention of U.S. citizens by ICE and misrepresenting the outcome of deportation efforts involving Kilmar Abrego Garcia. She contends DHS under Noem has used excessive force, including the deployment of chemical weapons in violation of court orders. In one cited example, Ramirez says DHS agents used such tactics in Chicago despite a federal judge’s ruling barring their use.
During a House Homeland Security Committee hearing, Ramirez addressed Noem directly: “Your options are limited. Either you’re going to resign, Trump’s going to fire you, or you will be impeached.” She accused Noem of lying “with impunity,” rejecting the system of checks and balances, and ignoring oversight from both Congress and the courts. “You have misused resources appropriated by Congress. You’ve engaged in unethical behavior,” Ramirez remarked during the hearing, adding, “I’ve already called for your resignation. You may remember, I hand delivered my request to you back in May.”
The congresswoman also posted the letter and a video of the hearing on her social media account, writing: “Yes, I’m taking the first step towards Noem’s impeachment” and “The people will have accountability.”
This development comes as Secretary Noem, a former governor, has overseen an aggressive immigration enforcement agenda. Under her leadership, DHS reported a “record-breaking” 2.5 million illegal aliens leaving the U.S. since Trump’s second inauguration, with more than 600,000 deportations conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and nearly two million additional self-deportations. DHS has also promoted the use of a mobile app, “CBP Home,” offering stipends and flights to facilitate removals.
Noem has recently garnered national attention for her proposed travel bans, targeting countries she described as sending “killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies” into the United States. She said she had recommended a “full travel ban on every damn country” that posed such a threat. President Trump has publicly reaffirmed his support for Noem, stating he is “so happy with her,” and calling her leadership at the border “fantastic.”
While impeachment efforts against cabinet members have been rare in modern history, they have become more frequent under the current administration. Ramirez’s move mirrors similar recent actions by fellow Democrats Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), who filed articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI), who has sought the impeachment of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth over concerns stemming from a fatal military operation involving suspected narcotics-trafficking vessels.
Ramirez has long been a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s immigration policies and DHS leadership. In prior statements, she has referred to ICE as a “terrorist organization,” accused DHS of “facilitating the disappearance of our neighbors,” and declared herself “a proud Guatemalan before I’m an American.”
