Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., called on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign Thursday during opening remarks at a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on "Worldwide Threats to the Homeland."
"You have systematically dismantled the Department of Homeland Security, put your own interests above the department, and violated the law. You are making America less safe," said Thompson. "So rather than sitting here and wasting your time and ours with more corruption, lies and lawlessness, I call on you to resign. Do a real service to the country and just resign. That is, if President Trump doesn't fire you first."
As Noem was giving her opening statement, several protesters against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) interrupted, yelling, "Get ICE off our streets," and, "Stop terrorizing our community."
The protesters were escorted out by Capitol Police and detained outside the hearing room.
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Noem, who was joined at the hearing by National Counterterrorism Center director Joe Kent and Michael Glasheen, the operations director of the National Security Branch of the FBI, said one of her grandchildren, who was in the audience, was crying a little during Thompson's remarks.
"I don't think she agreed with him," Noem said jokingly.
She touted the work DHS has done to secure the southern border and protect the U.S.
"DHS is eradicating transnational organized crime and the stopping of deadly drugs from continuing to be funneled into our communities," she told lawmakers. "We're ending illegal immigration, returning sanity back to our immigration system, and we're defending against cyberattacks against our critical infrastructure."
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The former South Dakota governor, speaking about the global threats facing the country - including those posed by domestic extremists and radical Islamic terrorism - said the U.S. should brace for heightened risks as it prepares to host major events in 2026 such as the World Cup and the nation's 250th birthday.
"These large-scale events will be potential targets for a range of bad actors, and they come with an increased level of risk. DHS is using every tool and authority we have to ensure the safety of U.S. citizens, and our visitors can enjoy next year's events," Noem added.
Rumors had swirled in recent days that President Donald Trump was considering replacing her as head of DHS. Trump pushed back on those rumors on Wednesday, telling reporters that Noem has been "fantastic."
Noem also addressed the rumors, speaking to Fox News prior to Thursday's hearing.
"Oh, that's absolutely not true," she said. "President Trump and I are doing wonderfully. I'm so proud to work for him, and I'm going to continue to serve at his pleasure."
Fox News' Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
