Even More Democrats Join Impeachment Push Against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem After Killing Of Alex Pretti

The killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse in Minneapolis, has unraveled a new sense of urgency among Democratic lawmakers to impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Over the weekend, eight more Democrats signed on to an impeachment resolution against Noem, bringing the total number of co-sponsors to 120. The killing of Pretti at the hands of federal immigration agents, combined with the death of Rene Nicole Good earlier this month, has caused further discontent among Democrats over Noem's leadership.

According to a spokesperson for the office of Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), the congresswoman's impeachment resolution has garnered 100 co-sponsors, with many more joining in recent days as protests continue over the use of lethal force by immigration officers in Minneapolis.

In the last few days, more and more Democratic lawmakers have rallied behind Kelly's call to impeach Secretary Noem, as reported by NBC News.

On Jan. 25, Sen. Jack Rosen of Nevada said on social media that Noem has been "an abject failure leading the Department of Homeland Security for the last year," adding that recent violent altercations involving immigration agents are proof that Noem has lost control of her department and staff.

"Kristi Noem and her department's latest attempt to mislead the American public regarding the brutal and unjustified killing of Alex Pretti is deeply shameful, and she must be impeached and removed from office immediately," Rosen said.

Similarly, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) said Noem's impeachment was among the "bare minimum" steps in response to the shootings.

Following Pretti's death, Noem said Pretti approached Border Patrol agents with a handgun and "violently resisted" when officers tried to disarm him. Speaking to reporters, Noem also labeled the incident "domestic terrorism" and accused Minnesota officials of inciting violence against federal officers.

"This individual who came with weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation of federal law enforcement officers committed an act of domestic terrorism," Noem said during a news conference at FEMA headquarters in Washington, D.C. "That's the facts."

Noem added that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey were responsible for Pretti's death, suggesting the incident could have been avoided.

"The Minnesota governor and the Minneapolis mayor need to take a long, hard look in the mirror," she said. "They need to evaluate their rhetoric, their conversations, and their encouragement of such violence against our citizens and our law enforcement officers."

Noem, along with other members of the Trump administration, has denied any wrongdoing by federal immigration agents during the shooting, going as far as claiming Pretti was the one inciting violence. But according to video footage presented since his death, there is so far no evidence showing Pretti attacking officers.

Pretti's father told The Associated Press that Pretti had been participating in protests against the administration's immigration actions since Good's killing earlier this month.

"He cared about people deeply and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States with ICE, as millions of other people are upset," said Michael Pretti. "He thought it was terrible, you know, kidnapping children, just grabbing people off the street. He cared about those people, and he knew it was wrong, so he did participate in protests."

In a statement, Pretti's family labeled comments from administration officials "sickening lies" about Pretti being a domestic terrorist and said videos showed he was not holding a gun when he was tackled by federal agents.

"Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man," the statement read, as reported by The Associated Press.