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Democratic lawmakers are increasingly calling to defund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as well as impeach Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem after a federal agent shot and killed a woman in Minnesota on Wednesday.
The defunding push is creating problems for lead Democrats, however, as they argued earlier this week that any attempt to defund ICE is off the table. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have emphasized that the Affordable Care Act remains their priority.
Nevertheless, Wednesday’s killing of a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis has galvanized ranks of Democrats.
“Certainly everyone in that room, at least on my side, is livid at what happened to this woman,” said Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., who has previously called for a government shutdown to defund ICE. “Not just a resident of Minnesota, a U.S. citizen … a 37-year-old white woman, was shot, and then they lied about it.”
NOEM UNLOADS ON WALZ OVER ICE RAID CRITICISM: ‘REALLY? YOU’RE WORRIED ABOUT TAXPAYER DOLLARS?’
Members of law enforcement work the scene following a suspected shooting by an ICE agent during federal operations on Jan. 7, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty)
“They’re disappearing people off the street, and this has nothing to do with citizenship at all, increasingly, in who they’re going after,” argued Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., said Wednesday that she plans to introduce articles of impeachment against Noem.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem speaks at a press conference following a fatal shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. (KMSP)
“Secretary Kristi Noem is an incompetent leader, a disgrace to our democracy, and I am impeaching her for obstruction of justice, violation of public trust, and self-dealing,” Kelly said. “Secretary Noem wreaked havoc in the Chicagoland area, and now, her rogue ICE agents have unleashed that same destruction in Minneapolis, fatally shooting Renee Nicole Good.”
While Kelly’s effort is more far-fetched, Democrats seeking to throw a wrench in the legislative process over ICE funding could potentially see some success.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has accused ICE of “disappearing” people and targeting more than just non-citizens. (Stephani Spindel/VIEWpress via Getty Images)
“Democrats cannot vote for a DHS budget that doesn’t restrain the growing lawlessness of this agency,” wrote Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said in a statement.
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Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., echoed Murphy’s sentiment, saying Congress cannot “keep authorizing money for these illegal killers,” going on to call ICE a “rogue force.”