House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries cracked open the door to impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Jeffries made clear that impeachment remains on the table if Democrats retake the House after the 2026 midterm elections.
“Yeah, we haven’t ruled anything in or anything out in terms of the proper way to bring about accountability,” Jeffries told “All In” host Chris Hayes on MS NOW, signaling Democrats are already gaming out next steps.
He previewed internal discussions among Democratic lawmakers expected to begin early next week, setting the stage for a broader clash over leadership at the Department of Homeland Security.
Jeffries portrayed Noem as unfit for her role amid the deadly Minneapolis incident.
“But what’s clear to me is Kristi Noem is deeply unqualified, deeply unserious and deeply dangerous,” Jeffries charged during the interview.
“She’s a complete and total disgrace. She should never have been confirmed by the Senate in terms of holding this position.”
The impeachment threat stems from the killing of Renee Nicole Macklin Good, a 37-year-old woman shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis on Wednesday, an incident that has triggered escalating political fallout.
Jeffries accused Noem of falsely branding Macklin Good a domestic terrorist, arguing the administration rushed to judgment while critical facts remained disputed.
Noem and other Trump administration officials accused Macklin Good of carrying out an act of “domestic terrorism” and claimed she attempted to run over an ICE officer with her vehicle, allegations Jeffries labeled slanderous.
The DHS secretary publicly described the woman as part of “a mob of agitators that were harassing [ICE officers] all day, began blocking them in, shouting at them, and impeding law enforcement operations,” a characterization that drew pushback from Democrats.
During a Thursday morning press conference, Noem issued a warning aimed at critics and protesters alike.
“If you are a criminal illegal alien we are coming to get you, we will arrest you, we will bring justice and we will also bring safety to the American people,” Noem declared.
She escalated the message with a threat. “We are warning anyone, if you think you can harm an individual–a citizen of the United States or a law enforcement officer–we will find you and bring you justice.”
Noem doubled down moments later. “If you lay a finger on one of our officers we will catch you, we will prosecute you, and you will feel the full extent of the law.”
Jeffries responded by calling for criminal scrutiny of the officer involved, linking accountability in the courts with action in Congress.
“That agent should be criminally investigated to the full extent of the law,” Jeffries argued. “And simultaneously, in Congress we need to decisively respond, and we will.”
He accused the Department of Homeland Security of unleashing what he described as widespread misconduct, pressing lawmakers to rein in the agency’s authority.
He urged Congress to “limit or address decisively the lawlessness that the Department of Homeland Security has unleashed on the American people,” portraying the incident as part of a larger pattern.
Earlier Thursday, Jeffries intensified his rhetoric alongside Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, branding Noem a “stone-cold liar” during a press conference.
“Let me first say that the killing of Renee Nicole Good was an abomination, a disgrace,” Jeffries stated.
“And blood is clearly on the hands of those individuals within the administration who have been pushing an extreme policy that has nothing to do with immigration enforcement connected to removing violent felons from this country.”
He argued that the administration’s tactics have strayed far from targeting dangerous criminals.
“We support the removal of violent felons from this country who are here illegally,” Jeffries continued.
“But that’s not what this administration has been doing under the so-called leadership of Kristi Noem, who’s a stone-cold liar. There’s no evidence at all that this was a justified shooting.”
Schumer echoed the outrage while raising doubts about federal oversight of the investigation.
“I watched the video. You felt like your stomach was being punched,” Schumer recalled.
“Looking at the video, there seemed no justification for what these agents did. There needs to be a full investigation at the federal level.”
He added that his confidence in federal agencies was limited. “Although I have little faith in the FBI at doing a fair investigation or DHS, but at the local level as well.”
Sen. Adam Schiff added to the criticism during a CBS appearance, arguing neither DHS nor the FBI could be trusted to police themselves.
“there needs to be a full investigation,” Schiff insisted. “But that full investigation needs to have at the table, with access to witnesses and evidence, the Minnesota law enforcement authorities as well.”
He rejected Noem’s claim that state investigators lacked jurisdiction. “A Minnesota citizen was just killed,” Schiff asserted. “They have all the jurisdiction in the world to look into this.”
Schiff also blasted Noem’s public statements. “She’s also called this woman a domestic terrorist without any evidence for that,” he added. “She’s just a reckless mouthpiece for the administration.”
Pressure mounted further when California Gov. Gavin Newsom publicly called for Noem’s resignation.
“Kristi Noem should resign – before more Americans are killed,” Newsom’s press office posted Friday. “She needs to be held to account.”
Kristi Noem should resign — before more Americans are killed.
She needs to be held to account.
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) January 9, 2026
The backlash has not been confined to Democrats. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis questioned Noem’s handling of the case, focusing on her rapid public conclusions.
“It was very unusual to have a senior law enforcement official draw a conclusion about an event where the scene was still being processed,” Tillis observed.
“Generally speaking, law enforcement would recognize that a life was lost, that families are changed forever,” he noted, emphasizing the need for careful review.
On Friday, the White House released video obtained by Alpha News showing the ICE officer’s perspective before the shooting, adding new fuel to the debate.
In the footage, Macklin Good is seen with her window down, calmly speaking to the officer. “That’s alright dude, I’m not mad at you. I’m not mad at you,” she says.
BREAKING: Alpha News has obtained cellphone footage showing perspective of federal agent at center of ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis pic.twitter.com/p2wks0zew0
— Alpha News (@AlphaNews) January 9, 2026
The video captures escalating chaos as the officer circles the SUV while a woman heckles him and grabs the passenger-side door.
Officers can be heard shouting, “Get out of the car. Get out of the f king car.”
The camera jolts as shots are fired, obscuring the exact moment of the shooting, before the SUV is seen careening down the road and striking a parked car.
A man’s voice is audible in the aftermath, shouting “F–king b—-.”
