Washington– Minister of Homeland Security Kristi NoemHe, who heads the central agency for President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda, is expected to do so Face fierce interrogation from Democrats on Thursday as the public face of the Republican administration’s hard-line approach to immigration.
It’s been months since Noem last appeared in Congress in May. Since then, immigration enforcement operations, especially in Los Angeles and Chicago, have become increasingly controversial, with federal agents and activists repeatedly clashing over their management tactics.
Noem is testifying before the House Homeland Security Committee to discuss “Global Threats to the Homeland,” which in past years has focused on issues such as cybersecurity, terrorism, China and border security. With Noem making only a handful of appearances before Congress when she leads Trump’s signature policy arena, her Thursday appearance will likely focus largely on immigration.
Trump returned to power last January with what he described as a mandate to reshape immigration in the United States, claiming that the country was being invaded.
In the months that followed, the number of people detained in immigration detention centers rose dramatically; The administration continued to deport immigrants to Countries they are not from; In the wake of an Afghan citizen being accused of shooting two National Guard soldiers, the Noem administration did just that in a big way Intensifying inspections and examinations Of immigrants in the United States
The Global Threats Hearing, typically held annually, is an opportunity for members of Congress to question leaders of the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and the National Counterterrorism Center about the threats facing the United States and what their agencies are doing to address them.
Noem’s administration is under special scrutiny because Congress in July passed legislation giving her nearly $165 billion to pursue her mass deportation and border security agenda. The department gets more money for hiring 10000 more Deportation officers, complete the wall between the United States and Mexico and increase the detention and removal of foreigners from the country.
The secretary also appears A federal judge is investigating Whether she should face contempt charges over flights carrying migrants to El Salvador.
Noem will also likely have to respond to criticism from Democrats who accuse immigration enforcement agents of wrongly detaining and detaining immigrants. Arrest of American citizens In their rush to deport as many people as possible in the country illegally. The Department of Homeland Security says agents conducting immigration enforcement operations do not target or arrest U.S. citizens on immigration grounds, although they say they have arrested Americans for allegedly interfering with law enforcement operations.
And a number of Democratic committee members Part of the lawsuit Noem accuses and swears Limit their access To ICE detention facilities.
Also attending Thursday’s hearing are Joseph Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, and Michael Glasheen, director of operations for the FBI’s National Security Branch.
Previous hearings have included questions about cybersecurity, China, chemical security and drones. Under President Joe Biden, in times of heavy migration at the southern border, Republicans have often focused their questions on his Democratic administration’s handling of border security.
When the hearing was announced in September, the Republican committee chairman said that in addition to Noem and Kent, FBI Director Cash Patel would also attend. But instead the FBI is represented by Glasheen.