Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem took her seat before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday morning, and the room was already on edge before she spoke.
A protester began shouting moments before her opening statement and was removed from the hearing room.
As Noem had walked in earlier, demonstrators in the hallway called out “You should resign” and “Stand with immigrants.”
Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, gaveled the session open with a direct appeal for decorum.
While Democrats came loaded with the expected criticisms of immigration enforcement tactics, the sharpest moments came from within Noem’s own party.
It is Noem’s first congressional appearance since the shooting deaths of Renee Nicole Good on January 7 and Alex Pretti on January 24, both U.S. citizens killed by federal immigration officers during enforcement operations in Minneapolis.
Noem’s response to those deaths, in which she labeled both individuals “domestic terrorists,” set off a bipartisan firestorm that has followed her into this room.
When Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, the top Democrat on the committee, pressed her on those comments, Noem said her characterization was based on “reports from agents on the ground.” But last month, leadership at both ICE and CBP told Congress that neither they nor anyone under their command had provided information to Noem that would support that conclusion.
Noem did express condolences to the families of Good and Pretti, a notable shift in tone from her earlier statements, but the concession did little to quiet the committee.
The DHS shutdown, now entering its third week after Congress failed to agree on a funding deal, also dominated the session.
Noem came out swinging in her opening statement, calling the shutdown “reckless” and “unnecessary” and placing the blame squarely on Senate Democrats.
“Despite the House passing a bipartisan, bicameral full-year DHS funding bill, it is Senate Democrats who have chosen not to fund the department and have held this department hostage,” she said.
Democrats have said they will not fund DHS without changes to immigration enforcement practices.
Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, a committee member and a member of Noem’s own party, has been among her most pointed critics in recent months. In January he said:
“She’s got to make her own decision, or the president does, but she has taken this administration into the ground on an issue that we should own.”
Tillis’s presence at Tuesday’s hearing signaled that bipartisan friction over Noem’s leadership is not going away. Noem is also scheduled to appear before a House committee on Wednesday.
How Old Is Kristi Noem?
Kristi Noem was born on November 30, 1971, in Watertown, South Dakota. She is 54 years old. Born Kristi Lynn Arnold, she grew up on a family ranch near the town of Hazel and was crowned South Dakota Snow Queen in January 1990 during her senior year of high school.
In March 1994, her father was killed in a grain bin accident and Noem left college early to help run the family farm. She eventually completed her bachelor’s degree in political science from South Dakota State University in 2011, while already serving in Congress.
She was elected South Dakota’s first female governor in 2018 and stepped down in January 2025 to become the 8th United States Secretary of Homeland Security.
Who Is Kristi Noem’s Husband?
Bryon Noem is Kristi’s husband of more than three decades. The two were high school sweethearts who bonded over a shared love of ranching and South Dakota’s rural culture.
They married in 1992 in Watertown, South Dakota, when Kristi was 20 years old. Bryon grew up in Hamlin County and graduated from Northern State University with a degree in business finance.
He later ran his own crop insurance agency near Castlewood, South Dakota, and the couple also operates a hunting lodge together. When Kristi served as governor, Bryon became South Dakota’s first First Gentleman and launched a “This is South Dakota” initiative highlighting small-town life across the state.
The couple has three children together: Kassidy, Kennedy, and Booker. They are also grandparents.
What Did Kristi Noem Wear During Her Testimony Today?
Noem arrived at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in a composed, professional look consistent with her public appearances. Getty Images and AFP photographers captured her taking her seat at the witness table in what appeared to be a dark, tailored jacket.
Noem has typically favored classic, polished looks for high-profile appearances, understated in color, deliberate in presentation.
