Minnesota reps back impeachment bid against DHS chief Noem
More than 50 House Democrats, including Minnesota Reps. Angie Craig and Betty McCollum, are backing draft articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, accusing her of obstructing Congress, violating the public trust and steering $220 million in contracts to a firm tied to her spokesperson’s husband. The move comes as Noem boasts that over 2,000 federal agents — including some 1,500 ICE officers and 600 Homeland Security Investigations agents — are now operating in Minnesota under Operation Metro Surge, a deployment that has fueled mass protests, school walk‑outs and business closures in Minneapolis–Saint Paul following the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Nicole Good. The impeachment articles, set for formal introduction Jan. 14, specifically cite Noem’s blocking of congressional visits to DHS facilities, withholding of disaster funds, alleged due‑process violations and the use of masked, heavily armed immigration teams in cities including Minneapolis as grounds for removal. McCollum says Noem 'should be fired' and, failing that, supports impeachment and Senate conviction, while sponsor Rep. Robin Kelly calls her 'incompetent' and 'dangerous' and accuses her of unleashing 'rogue ICE agents' that 'ruined — and ended — lives' in places from Chicago to Minneapolis. Even if the effort is a long shot in a narrowly divided Congress, it raises the stakes of the Metro Surge for Twin Cities residents: Noem’s policies and the conduct of agents on their streets are now at the center of a constitutional fight over whether she keeps her job.
📌 Key Facts
- A total of 53 House Democrats have co‑signed Rep. Robin Kelly’s planned impeachment articles against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, to be introduced Jan. 14, 2026.
- Minnesota Reps. Angie Craig and Betty McCollum are among the co‑sponsors, with McCollum saying Noem should be fired or impeached for obstruction of Congress and violating public trust.
- Noem says more than 2,000 federal agents — 1,500 ICE officers and 600 HSI agents — are now operating in Minnesota under Operation Metro Surge, a surge linked to the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis and widespread local backlash.
📊 Relevant Data
The ICE Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, which involves over 2,000 federal agents, is primarily aimed at investigating widespread fraud in social services programs, with federal prosecutors estimating losses exceeding $9 billion in Minnesota-run Medicaid services alone.
U.S. Attorney: Fraud likely exceeds $9 billion in Minnesota-run Medicaid services — Minnesota Reformer
Dozens of individuals, predominantly from Minnesota's Somali community, have been charged in fraud schemes involving social services, with the scandals beginning with the Feeding Our Future scam in 2022 and expanding to include Housing Stabilization Services and Medicaid fraud.
How Fraud Swamped Minnesota's Social Services System on Tim Walz's Watch — The New York Times
Minnesota has the largest Somali population in the United States, estimated at over 80,000 individuals, many resettled through refugee programs facilitated by organizations like Lutheran Social Services and Catholic Charities since the 1990s due to the Somali Civil War.
Fact Check Team: Minnesota's Somali community: from refugees to political powerhouses — The National Desk
Somali immigrants in Minnesota face higher poverty rates, with about 35% living below the poverty line compared to 9% for the state overall, contributing to vulnerabilities in social services programs.
How Misreading Somali Poverty Led Minnesota into Its Largest Welfare Scandal — American Enterprise Institute
COVID-19 program waivers and relaxed oversight in social services contributed to the fraud scandals, enabling widespread abuse in programs like child nutrition and Medicaid, disproportionately affecting concentrated refugee communities.
What to know about Minnesota's 'industrial-scale fraud' scandal, as more charges are filed — CBS News
The ICE surge has led to economic disruptions in Minnesota's immigrant communities, with reports of 50-80% revenue loss in businesses, particularly affecting Hispanic-owned establishments in the Twin Cities.
ICE surge hits Twin Cities businesses, 50-80% revenue loss reported — FOX 9
Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old American citizen and poet, was fatally shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross during a vehicle encounter in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026, sparking protests amid the ongoing ICE surge.
Killing of Renee Good — Wikipedia
Noncitizens were underrepresented in welfare fraud convictions in Minnesota in 2024, comprising 15% of convictions while making up 20% of the welfare-receiving population.
Noncitizens Were Underrepresented in Welfare Fraud Convictions in 2024 — Cato Institute
The impeachment articles against Secretary Noem include self-dealing allegations related to awarding $220 million in contracts to a firm run by her spokesperson's husband.
Scoop: Over 50 House Dems sign onto Kristi Noem impeachment effort — Axios
Minnesota's Somali community contributes positively through economic activities, with Somali-owned businesses generating significant tax revenue and employment, despite fraud scandals.
Somalis in Minnesota: Can Cultures Adapt? — Manhattan Institute
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time