Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-Ill.) has formally taken the first procedural step toward the potential impeachment of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, requesting a full investigation into what she described as unlawful and potentially impeachable conduct by the Cabinet official.
In a press statement released December 11, Ramirez said she has asked House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and Ranking Member Jamie Raskin to open an investigation into Noem’s actions, citing alleged misuse of congressionally appropriated funds, ethical violations, and repeated false statements to Congress and the public.
“Secretary Noem, you have misused resources appropriated by Congress and engaged in unethical behavior,” Ramirez said during a hearing. “You have repeatedly made false and misleading statements to Congress and to the press. And you have undermined the separation of powers and disregarded the role of Congress and the Courts.”
Ramirez accused the DHS secretary of acting with impunity and rejecting constitutional checks and balances, framing the request as a matter of congressional responsibility rather than partisan escalation.
“Bottom line: you lie, act with impunity, reject checks and balances, and ignore Congress and the Courts,” she said. “Your options are limited. You either resign, Trump fires you, or you will be impeached.”
The request to the Judiciary Committee marks the earliest formal stage of the impeachment process, which begins with an investigation to determine whether articles of impeachment are warranted. While Ramirez’s action does not itself initiate impeachment proceedings, it places pressure on committee leadership to examine the allegations and assess whether Noem’s conduct meets the constitutional threshold of “high crimes and misdemeanors.”
Ramirez noted that she has consistently pressed the issue, saying she was the first member of Congress to publicly call for Noem’s resignation in April. She also said she personally delivered a resignation demand letter to the secretary on May 14.
“I urge you to reconsider resignation, because I have taken the first step toward your impeachment,” Ramirez said, adding that the Judiciary Committee investigation is aimed at addressing what she characterized as “lawlessness” within the department.
The Department of Homeland Security has not yet issued a public response to Ramirez’s allegations or her request for a Judiciary Committee probe.
If the committee proceeds, any findings could form the basis for articles of impeachment, which would require approval by a majority of the full House. Conviction and removal from office would then require a two-thirds vote in the Senate.
For now, Ramirez’s move signals a sharpening confrontation over executive accountability and congressional oversight at DHS—one that could carry significant legal and constitutional consequences if it advances.
