Elected officials call for Kristi Noem’s impeachment, accountability reforms to DHS

Following the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen on Wednesday, members of Congress said on Thursday that there are plans to file articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem next week, and that they are working on a major legislative package that will add constraints to DHS enforcement tactics.

During a virtual community call hosted by Voto Latino, a civic advocacy organization dedicated to empowering the next generation of Latino voters, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California), Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) and Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Illinois) demanded accountability following the killing of 37-year-old mother Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent that occurred in Minneapolis the day prior. 

“What makes this moment particularly painful is that it’s not just about the loss of a life,” said María Teresa Kumar, president and co-founder of the Voto Latino Foundation. “But it was the response that followed, the callousness of leadership, the callousness of lack of investigation and transparency… we’ve seen deflection, distortion and propaganda.”

Social media videos show multiple ICE officers approaching Good’s vehicle and attempting to open the driver’s side door. As Good’s SUV begins to turn to drive away from the agents, an ICE agent who has since been identified as Jonathan Ross, fires three deadly shots at Good.

Authorities in Minnesota have since stated they have been denied access to the investigation regarding the shooting and that the investigation will be led solely by the FBI.

Immediately following the shooting, Noem referred to Good as a “domestic terrorist” while President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post she was a “professional agitator” and had “viciously ran over the ICE officer.” Ross was seen on video walking away from the incident.

Minutes before Thursday’s virtual press conference was scheduled, news broke that Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents in Portland, Oregon, had shot two individuals who have now been identified as Luis David Nico Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, both Venezuelan nationals.

In 2025, there were a reported 32 deaths in ICE custody, over 170 U.S. citizens arrested by ICE and 14 ICE-related shootings resulting in four deaths. Due to her enforcement tactics and “escalating policies,” Voto Latino is calling on Congress to impeach Noem.

“Congress must begin impeachment proceedings against Secretary Noem immediately,” said Kumar. “She is unfit for this job.”

A spokesperson with ICE did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication.

“The fact that they’re trying to deflect and deny and change the story tells you everything you need to know about this administration," said Padilla. “They want to avoid accountability at all costs … they're hard at work trying to convince you that what you’re seeing with your own eyes didn’t really happen.”

Padilla and Murphy announced during the call that they are currently working on a “major legislative package” that they will use as leverage to agree to pass the Republicans’ DHS funding bill coming up, since the budget cannot pass without their votes.

The list of legislation will include “common sense provisions,” said Murphy. This includes reaffirming that CBP agents are only authorized and funded to work on the country’s borders, not within states. They will also require warrants for detainments and basic levels of training for agents, as well as prohibiting agents from using masks to hide their identities.

“You feel our country coming apart at the seams right now, because this is an administration that is in the process of trying to rationalize and normalize violence as part of our everyday existence,” said Murphy. 

Also on the call, Kelly spoke of the state of Illinois’ dealings with DHS’s extreme enforcement, where there were multiple ICE shootings resulting in one death.

“Everywhere they go, ICE causes death, destruction and so much trauma for the places they go and its trauma for everybody, not one group or another,” said Kelly. She continued, “They’re affecting things morally, psychologically, economically. It is her reign of terror and this cannot continue.”

The representative said she will be filing three articles of impeachment against Noem next week, calling her "incompetent" and "unqualified." The articles will focus on obstruction of justice, violation of public trust and self-dealing.

Voto Latino has launched its own campaign calling for Noem’s impeachment and while elected officials work in their official capacities to pursue accountability, the organization is calling on individuals to do their part as well. 

The group asks that people regularly call their representatives in Congress and tell them they want to see oversight and accountability. The fight, they say, to flip the House in this year’s Midterm Election starts now.

“We want to flip the majorities in Congress, not for the sake of political power, but for the sake of accountability," said Padilla. “But we know we can’t wait until then. Our activism, our response starts now … it starts every weekend between now and November.”