Kristi Noem grilled over Alex Pretti statement, and other key takeaways from Senate hearing

Both Republicans and Democrats criticised Noem for her leadership of the Department of Homeland Security.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended her department's immigration enforcement tactics in front of a Senate committee and pushed back against criticism from Democrats who say she wrongly disparaged two protesters killed by federal officers in Minneapolis ... .

Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) has announced his intention to block Senate nominations over concerns related to Kristi Noem's leadership of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Tillis, who is nearing the end of his term and not seeking re-election, has taken a leading role in challenging Noem's performance in DHS, particularly during a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing.

The hearing is the latest instance where Noem has been criticized for her ability to manage the agency, and follows several members of Congress calling for her to leave office, including from her own party. Noem's testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee lasted over four hours and occurred as DHS undergoes a shutdown due to a lapse in government funding, which happened in part due to disagreements over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem during a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing. Durbin first pressed Secretary Noem about her labeling Renee Good, Alex Pretti, and Marimar Martinez as 'domestic terrorists,' and refusing to apologize to their families.

US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) chief Kristi Noem came under withering criticism from Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday over the Trump administration's sweeping immigration crackdown. 'Under your leadership, the Homeland Security Department has been devoid of any moral compass or respect for the rule of law,' Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, told Noem at a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing.

La secretaria de Seguridad Nacional de EE. UU., Kristi Noem, enfrenta fuertes críticas tras negarse a disculparse por llamar 'terroristas domésticos' a dos ciudadanos estadounidenses asesinados por la policía migratoria durante protestas pacíficas contra las políticas migratorias represivas de Donald Trump.

Here are the takeaways from the hours-long hearing: Noem defends her early descriptions of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Noem tried to split hairs during the hearing by claiming she never called Alex Pretti, the man shot and killed by DHS officers in Minnesota earlier this year, a domestic terrorist, but rather said his actions were an act of domestic terrorism.

Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois ... , repeatedly questioned Noem about comments she made immediately after the deaths of both Good and Pretti that cast them as the aggressors in the events leading up to their deaths. He called on her to apologize. 'You and your agency rushed to brand ... ,' Durbin said. 'We have ample video evidence and ... .'

Democratic Senator Dick Durbin asked DHS Secretary Kristi Noem if she would retract her previous statements labeling Alex Pretti and Renee Good as 'domestic terrorists.' 'You and your agency rushed to brand ... 'domestic terrorists,'' Durbin said. 'We have ample video evidence and ... cause immeasurable pain to these ... .'

Noem, in addition to highlighting the Trump administration's accomplishments under this administration, told lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee how the shutdown is affecting regular Americans, including making air travel more difficult. 'Senate Democrats who have chosen not to fund the department and have held this department hostage,' she said in her opening remarks. 'As a result, critical national security missions, including border security, immigration enforcement, aviation security, disaster response, cyber security and the protection of critical infrastructure are all being strained,' she said, adding that the agency is also struggling to prepare for World Cup security.

Appearing before Congress for the first time since the killings, Noem evaded a question by the Senate judiciary committee ranking member, Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, about whether she would take back the false accusations about Renee Good and Alex Pretti. 'When we have these situations happen, we always offer our condolences to those families, and I offer mine as well,' the Noem said during the oversight hearing.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem faced questions about immigration enforcement operations, refusing to apologize for or retract her statements about a U.S. citizen shot and killed by federal law enforcement in Minneapolis earlier this year.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testified before a US Senate committee, defending her record amid criticism over her portrayal of protesters killed by federal officers in Minneapolis as agitators.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem faced questions about immigration enforcement operations, refusing to apologize for or retract her statements about a U.S. citizen shot and killed by federal law enforcement in Minneapolis earlier this year.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem faced bipartisan criticism during a Senate hearing, with Senator Thom Tillis calling her leadership a 'disaster' over her handling of immigration enforcement and the deaths of protesters in Minneapolis.