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Senator John Fetterman wasted no time piling on.
“I make a direct appeal to immediately fire Sec. Noem,” Fetterman wrote on X
He accused Noem of betraying the Department of Homeland Security and even likened Trump’s refusal to act to the Biden administration’s handling of incompetent officials.
Trump, however, publicly dismissed those claims. He told reporters that Noem is doing a “very good job” and credited her with restoring enforcement at a border Democrats spent years ignoring.
What Actually Happened in Minneapolis
Federal officials confirmed that two U.S. citizens were killed during immigration enforcement operations in January.
Renee Nicole Good, 37, was shot on January 7 by an ICE agent who stated she attempted to weaponize her vehicle during an encounter.
Alex Pretti, 37, died on January 24 during a confrontation with Border Patrol agents while filming enforcement activity.
The incidents triggered an immediate political backlash from Minnesota Democrats.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey erupted after the first shooting, telling federal agents to “get the fuck out”
Governor Tim Walz echoed similar rhetoric, repeatedly claiming that immigration enforcement posed a threat to public safety.
Sanctuary Policies Under the Microscope
The sudden outrage struck many observers as selective. The same politicians who insisted for years that the border was secure are now condemning enforcement tactics in a city that openly resisted federal immigration law.
According to DHS, federal agents arrested more than 3,000 criminal illegal aliens in the Minneapolis area over the past six weeks. Officials say those arrests included violent offenders such as murderers, rapists, and gang members who remained free due to sanctuary policies.
Trump allies argue that the confrontation Democrats now decry is the direct result of years of obstruction and political grandstanding.
Trump Sends Tom Homan to Take Control
Rather than back down, Trump doubled down.
This week, he announced that border czar Tom Homan will be deployed to Minnesota to oversee operations directly.
Homan will report straight to Trump and coordinate enforcement with ongoing fraud investigations tied to Minnesota’s welfare system. Those probes have raised serious questions about how taxpayer funds were misused while enforcement was blocked.
The move came as House Democrats advanced impeachment articles against Noem. Representative Robin Kelly introduced the resolution just one day after Good’s death, and more than 140 Democrats have since signed on.
Political Hypocrisy on Full Display
Trump’s allies point out the contradiction. Many of the same lawmakers now claiming outrage over federal force previously cheered FBI raids, aggressive protest policing, and years of unchecked lawlessness tied to open-border policies.
Federal officials say the Minneapolis operation is the largest DHS deployment ever conducted, involving up to 2,100 officers in a city that actively resisted immigration enforcement for years.
Noem has defended the operation by highlighting massive welfare fraud networks that flourished under Democratic leadership, costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
Trump’s Bet Heading Into the Election
The president’s calculation appears simple. He believes Americans watching their communities change under years of open-border policies will side with enforcement over politicians who enabled the crisis.
Even Fetterman seems conflicted. While demanding Noem’s firing, he has refused to support defunding DHS, a tacit admission that abolishing ICE remains deeply unpopular outside progressive circles.
Trump’s one-word answer made the administration’s position unmistakable.
Kristi Noem is staying put, enforcement is continuing, and Democrats are discovering once again that slogans like “abolish ICE” collapse when confronted with reality.
