Durbin blasts DHS, Noem says shutdown 'undermines' national security

WASHINGTON, DC: The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) oversight began with a sharp partisan divide as Secretary Kristi Noem warned that the ongoing DHS shutdown is undermining US national security.

During the proceedings on Tuesday, March 3, the hearing immediately centered on the fatal shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by immigration agents, cases that have become a flashpoint for Democratic opposition to the department's current funding.

Ranking Member Sen Dick Durbin (D-Ill) opened the proceedings by slamming the department as being "devoid of any moral compass or respect for the rule of law."

Durbin defended the Democratic decision to withhold funding, citing a need to rein in "ICE abuses" following the deaths of Good and Pretti in Minnesota and Illinois.

Administration accused of weakening national security

Sen Durbin argued that the Trump administration is responsible for weakening the department through "mass layoffs of career national security officials."

He claimed that many others have been diverted from their primary missions of protecting the homeland to facilitate the president’s "mass deportation campaign."

Durbin asserted that while Republicans claim the DHS shutdown is putting the country at risk, the reality is that the administration’s own policies are causing the strain.

He maintained that Congress must require immigration agents to follow the same rules as local police to ensure accountability.

Critical missions strained by partial shutdown

Secretary Noem denounced Senate Democrats for holding the department "hostage" by refusing to fund it after a bipartisan bill passed the House.

She stated the partial shutdown, which began in mid-February, harms DHS employees and their families while putting American safety at risk.

Noem warned that the lack of funding is straining critical national security missions, including border security, aviation security, and cybersecurity.

She also cited disaster response and the protection of critical infrastructure as areas currently being compromised by the funding gap.

Noem refuses to retract "t********ts" labels

The hearing turned tense when Durbin asked Noem to retract her previous statements, falsely calling Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti "domestic t********t. 

Both victims were fatally shot by immigration agents in Minnesota. Noem offered her condolences to the families, calling the situations "tragic," but she did not retract the label.

She explained that her statements were based on "reports from the ground" and from agents working at the scene.

When pressed on the source of her information, Noem described the events as a "chaotic scene" and maintained that the department works to provide the public with as much information as possible.

Democrats demand accountability for ICE agents

Sen Durbin maintained that the funding impasse will continue until there are fundamental changes to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policies. 

He argued that the fatal shootings of Good and Pretti underscore the urgent need for agents to adhere to standard law enforcement protocols.

Republicans on the committee continue to claim the shutdown is a direct threat to the country, but Democrats insist the "job" of Congress is to stop department abuses.

The hearing remains ongoing as lawmakers debate the future of the department's operations.