Fact Check: Did Kristi Noem tell Congress that Republicans voted for Jan 6 rioters to work for ICE?

WASHINGTON, DC: A rumor about Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem went viral recently across social media platforms, claiming that she made a controversial statement about January 6 rioters.

As per the rumor, Noem told Congress that Republicans voted for Jan 6 rioters to work for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). But is there any truth to this? Let us find out below.

Claim: Kristi Noem told Congress that Republicans voted for Jan 6 rioters to work for ICE

A rumor circulated online in June claiming that Kristi Noem testified to Congress that Republicans voted to allow ICE to employ people who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

People on social media shared a picture of Noem riding along with ICE agents. It was mainly shared across Facebook and Instagram.

The picture had texts that read, "Kristi Noem, head of homeland security, admitted, UNDER OATH, that Republicans voted to allow January 6th rioters to serve in ICE roles. Including the ones who assaulted police officers during the attack."

It added, "Explains a lot about why ICE officers are wearing masks and refusing to show ID."

Interestingly, the rumor spread on social media after Noem appeared in front of various committees to discuss the budget of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

False: No proper evidence to back the claim

The claims made in the online rumor are false, as there is no proper evidence to prove that Kristi Noem told Congress that Republicans voted for Jan 6 rioters to work for ICE, according to Snopes.

Searches on search engines, such as Google and Bing, showed no such results to prove that Noem told any such thing to Congress.

Moreover, the rumor seemed to have originated through an amendment Rep Sydney Kamlager-Dove proposed on April 30, 2025, during a House Judiciary Committee hearing while discussing budget resolutions for fiscal year 2025, per the fact-checking outlet.

During the hearing, several Democratic representatives introduced amendments to limit how the budget would be used to facilitate the operation of ICE.

Furthermore, the rumor also appeared in a letter to the editor published in the Arizona Daily Star, which read in part, "Kristi Noem told Congress that they were using Jan. 6 traitors as ICE personnel. They are criminals themselves, racist fascists. I suspected #47 was forming his own secret police. Noem is just a puppet."

Kristi Noem addresses DHS budget for fiscal year 2026

Noem appeared at multiple hearings in May to address the DHS budget for fiscal year 2026.

She testified before the United States Senate Committee on May 8 on the appropriations for the subcommittee hearing "A Review of the President's Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Department of Homeland Security."

Interestingly, the meeting includes no mention of the attack on the US Capitol that occurred on Jan 6, 2021. 

Noem then appeared before the Homeland Security Committee on May 14 for the meeting "A New Era of Homeland Security: A Review of the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Department of Homeland Security."

Notably, the only mention of the Capitol riots took place when Rep Bennie Thompson addressed National Police Week from May 11 through May 17, in honor of law enforcement officers who defended the US Capitol on Jan 6.

Moreover, there was no mention of any allegations that Republicans voted to allow ICE to employ Jan 6 rioters, Snopes reported.