John,
ICE’s descent into violence and lawlessness flows directly from the leadership of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and her full embrace of Trump’s vindictive immigration agenda. Under Noem, ICE has been encouraged to see itself as untouchable -- free to use force, flout the law, and terrorize communities targeted for political reasons.
Noem’s rhetoric and directives have fostered an atmosphere of unrestrained violence and open disrespect toward people of color and those who stand in solidarity with them. That is why Rep. Robin Kelly has now filed articles of impeachment against Noem, charging her with obstruction of Congress, violation of public trust, and self-dealing.
The move reflects a growing recognition that ICE, under Noem’s leadership, has veered into dangerous and illegal territory that threatens entire communities. Since Noem took control of DHS, ICE operations have become more aggressive, more reckless, and far more deadly, as exemplified by the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three.
Noem immediately labeled Good a “domestic terrorist” and falsely claimed she posed an imminent threat to the officer’s life. Instead of transparency, Noem removed the officer from the state before state or local authorities could interview him, blocked local investigators from accessing the crime scene, and seized the vehicle without allowing independent review.
This is deeply alarming. It is standard procedure for federal law enforcement agencies to cooperate with state and local authorities in fatal shootings. Here, that cooperation was deliberately denied, underscoring the lack of transparency and accountability.
Send a direct message to Congress demanding the impeachment of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem for creating and sustaining a culture of excessive force, racialized intimidation, secrecy, and impunity.
Noem’s response fits a broader pattern: excusing unnecessary violence, stonewalling investigations, sidelining whistleblowers, and protecting agents from scrutiny. The consequences have been deadly. In 2025, ICE recorded its highest number of deaths in custody in more than twenty years, many of which were preventable.
Kristi Noem has transformed ICE into an agency that operates more like a paramilitary force than a civilian law-enforcement body. When the head of DHS not only defends lethal force but amplifies empty justifications, she sends a clear message to ICE officers and recruits alike: brutality is rewarded, restraint is weakness, and the law is optional.
The toll of Noem’s leadership is already devastating. Her aggressive pursuit of Trump’s hard-line agenda, paired with performative toughness and contempt for oversight, has encouraged dangerous escalation on the ground and put countless lives at risk.
Impeachment is the mechanism that brings testimony, documents, and evidence into the open. Congress must make clear that law enforcement in the United States is not carried out by masked agents in unmarked vehicles who abduct people, terrorize neighborhoods, and kill without consequence. Power exercised without accountability is incompatible with democracy.
Tell Congress: it’s time to impeach DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
Thank you for insisting on a Department of Homeland Security that serves the people in accordance with the legal and ethical principles of the Constitution.
– DFA AF Team
