Donald Trump released a defiant statement defending Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, saying he supports her despite the backlash over her harsh immigration enforcement in Minnesota. "I think she's doing a very good job," the President told reporters outside the White House on Tuesday.
"The border is totally secure ... we had a border that we inherited where millions of people were coming through, now we have a border where no one is coming through." Trump on Monday had slammed Noem's handling of the situation and sent her long-time rival Tom Homan to Minnesota to take charge of the chaotic migrant enforcement efforts after Alex Pretti, 37, was shot dead.
Lending His Support
The president was reportedly upset with Noem after she labeled Pretti a "domestic terrorist" during a news briefing following the shooting. Trump later questioned her comments directly during a late-Sunday Oval Office meeting that included White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
Since then, Noem has been reassigned to focus on securing the Southern Border, removing her from day-to-day immigration enforcement inside the country.
Even so, her position appears secure despite growing calls from senior Democrats — including Senator John Fetterman — for her to be fired.
House Democrats in Congress have launched an inquiry into Noem's actions, and about 140 members of the party have jointly sponsored a resolution to impeach her. Some Republican officials, such as Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Representative James Comer of Kentucky, have also raised worries that Noem's aggressive immigration enforcement in Minnesota might have gone too far.
The impeachment resolution claims that Noem engaged in self-interested actions, blocked Congress and broke the public's trust.
Republican Senator Rand Paul has also asked several top immigration officials to appear at a February 12 hearing.
Calls for Being Fired
Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott, US Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow and Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons have been invited to testify. Noem is set to speak before the Senate on March 3 as part of normal oversight.
Her leadership has suffered a sharp decline in public support after the fatal shootings of Pretti and anti-ICE protester Renee Good in early January.
A recent poll shows her approval rating has fallen well below previous levels.
Noem's disapproval rating has climbed to 41 percent, up from 37 percent in December, according to the latest Daily Mail/JL Partners poll. The survey found that 46 percent of respondents think she should be impeached, while another 42 percent believe President Donald Trump should remove her from office.
The poll was carried out on January 26 among more than 1,000 registered voters and has a margin of error of 3.1 percent.
