House Homeland Security Hearing

US Representative Mark Green (13:46):

The Committee on Homeland Security will come to order. Without objection, the chair may declare the committee in recess at any point. During today's hearing, I would remind members that they should direct their comments to the chair or to the secretary. I now recognize myself for an opening statement. Good morning, Secretary Noem, and thank you for joining the committee today to discuss President Trump's budget to fund the crucial mission of the Department of Homeland Security. Before we begin, I want to mention that this is Police Week. A time for us to remember and honor the contributions of the men and women of federal, state, and local law enforcement across this country, including within DHS. Think a lot of people don't realize that there are more badges in HSI than there are in the FBI. So much could be said about all of you who devote your lives to service, and to keep us safe. But for now, let me simply say, thank you. Thank you, and know that our committee has your back.

(14:46)
Madam Secretary, this is your first appearance before the committee, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with you and your team as we strive to undo the damage, and the chaos created by your predecessor. When you took office, you inherited an unprecedented crisis at our southern border, at all of our borders, created by President Biden, vice president and border czar, Kamala Harris and Secretary Mayorkas. For four years, the administration, and unaccountable bureaucrats helped craft their extreme agenda, dismantled our secure border, gutted interior immigration enforcement, and implemented a policy of mass catch and release that flooded our communities with millions of illegal immigrants. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Customs and Border Protection recorded more than 11 million encounters of inadmissible aliens at our border. On top of that astronomical number, CBP has recorded roughly two million known gotaways, a number that exceeded the previous 10 physical years combined. That's more than 13 million inadmissible aliens who violated our sovereign border in just four years. Around quadruple the number from the first Trump administration, and all because the administration's policies and rhetoric encouraged them to do so.

(16:08)
The first few months of the second Trump administration provided a remarkable contrast. Under your and President Trump's leadership, the border patrol has apprehended just around 25,000 illegal crossers at the southwest border. By comparison, in December of 2024, more than 47,000 illegal crossers were apprehended. We went from a record 301,000 illegal crossings at the southwest border in December of '23 to just over 7,000 in March. An astonishing 97% decrease. It turns out we didn't need comprehensive immigration reform, or a woefully misguided senate border bill that was pushed by the former secretary. We just needed a president willing to enforce the laws congress had already passed. Because illegal aliens now know that President Trump will have them removed from the country, they've stopped coming. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle understand this. They do not want to talk about these victories because they know that for four years they stood on the wrong side of this issue, defending open borders, and the abolition of ICE.

(17:17)
They also understand the American people do not trust them on the issue of border security and immigration enforcement, in large part because of their radical stances. I expect they'll spend a lot of time today twisting the truth to mislead the American people. I look forward to hearing you set the record straight. And while we're talking about Democrats anti-enforcement extremism, I'd like to briefly extend my regrets to you, Madam Secretary, and to the entire DHS workforce for the antics we saw on display outside the Delaney Hall Detention facility last week. Right now, attacks on law enforcement across this country are up 400%. Public officials should be sending a clear signal that these brave public servants are to be respected, and not assaulted. However, on Friday, current and former Democrat members of this committee stormed their way into an ice facility in Newark causing mass chaos, and verbally and physically accosting members of federal law enforcement in the process. I'd like to share a video.

Speaker 1 (18:38):

The Department of Homeland Security is warning, there could be more arrests following the incident that you see here.

VIDEO (18:43):

[inaudible 00:18:46]

US Representative Mark Green (19:05):

I'm embarrassed by what I saw and everyone should be. This behavior is utterly unbecoming of a citizen, let alone a member of Congress. Democrats may talk a big game about law and order, but these actions are a violation of the sacred principle. Not only have Democrats excused these actions, but they've actually tried to blame ICE for what happened. When you punch a law enforcement officer, that's not the law enforcement officer's fault. This behavior demands a swift and firm response, and I assure you action will be taken. Despite Democrats best efforts to prevent it, the Trump administration has ended the immediate crisis at our borders. However, more work remains, particularly in removing the millions of individuals who have no lawful basis to be in the United States. It is essential that we swiftly fund enforcement efforts through the reconciliation process. Congress must also codify President Trump's successful policies to ensure they can withstand the schemes of open border radicals.

(20:04)
Meanwhile, the open border is not the only threat our nation faces. While the Biden-Harris administration had its back turned, the Chinese Communist Party executed brazen operations on US soil, including running secret police stations in our cities, and conducting surveillance operations. On top of that, Chinese affiliated firms are buying up US farmland and commercial properties, including in areas near sensitive government and military sites. More than 60,000 Chinese nationals illegally crossed our Southwest border between fiscal year '21 and '24. Most of them were released by the Biden Administration into the interior. Despite us not having their true intentions or backgrounds. The CCP is pushing the envelope harder than ever. Consequently, we need a robust, innovative, and consistent effort to push right back.

(20:53)
Our cyber borders also remain under assault. Most notably, malicious cyber actors associated with the Chinese government have targeted us with some of the most sophisticated and sustained hacking operations we have ever seen. The salt and volt typhoon intrusions revealed significant gaps in our cyber posture, compromising Americans private data and key sectors of our critical infrastructure. We have not forgotten devastating attacks like the Colonial Pipeline in the spring of '21, which led to oil and gas shortages across our country and lines at almost every gas station. We cannot stay ahead of these evolving cyber threats if we do not have the right people with the right skills to defend our nation.

(21:34)
Today, more than 500,000 cyber positions across this country in both public and private sectors are currently unfilled. That's half a million cyber professionals not on the front lines to defend us from the malicious activity jeopardizing our national security. That's why I introduced the Cyber Pivot Act, which would create an ROTC-like scholarship program enabling men and women across this country to gain hands-on experience in cybersecurity or related fields, in exchange for a period of required government service across any level of government. Earlier this year, the committee favorably reported the act to the House. Democrat Senator Gary Peters, ranking member of the Homeland Security governmental affairs Committee, and Senator Mike Rounds, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Cybersecurity introduced a companion legislation to this in the Senate. It's time to bring this bill to the floor for a vote.

(22:25)
Madam Secretary, I look forward to working with you on finding creative solutions to our cyber workforce shortage, as well as, ensuring that the agencies under DHS tasked with defending our cyber borders, primarily CISA, remain focused on their task. As your budget rightly indicates, the agency's censorship of millions of Americans will come to an end. Instead, CISA's engagement with the private sector must focus on protecting critical infrastructure and our federal civilian networks. This must include streamlining burdensome regulatory requirements, and ensuring CISA remains a trusted and reliable partner to the public and private sectors. I trust that over the next four years, you'll devote maximum effort to dismantling the censorship industrial complex while ensuring that CISA is positioned to succeed at its core mission. These are some of the most substantial challenges, but many more await.

(23:18)
Madam Secretary. I expect continued progress on all of these issues, and I'm equally confident in your leadership and resolve to get this job done together. Let's re- secure our homeland. I now recognize the ranking member for an opening statement.

US Representative Bennie Thompson (23:35):

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Welcome Madam Secretary to the hearing. Mr. Chairman, before we begin, I want to recognize National Police Week, and thank the officers who protect our communities, this capital, and our country, honorably and ably. We appreciate their service. As we observe National Police Week, I again call on the speaker to follow the law, and finally hang the plaque honoring those brave officers who defended the United States Capitol from a violent mob on January 6th. Over 140 law enforcement officers were assaulted that day, and honoring their bravery and sacrifice as promised is the least Congress can do. Turning to today's hearing, I'm glad Secretary Noem is finally testifying before the committee. After all, it's been three months since I sent you a letter asking for her to testify on the Trump administration's dismantling of the Department of Homeland Security and its harmful effects on communities across the country.

(24:51)
Secretary Noem, I guess the chairman didn't think systematically dismantling the Department of Homeland Security, firing the federal workers who keep us safe, and violating the Constitution of the United States justified your timely appearance before this committee. But when Donald Trump demanded that Congress hand him money to do more damage to our Homeland Security, Republicans bent over backwards to help him, and his billionaire friends at the expense of the American people. Whatever got you here, Secretary Noem, I'm glad you found time among your many photo ops and costume changes to testify about why President Trump is seeking more taxpayer dollars, and what you plan to do with that money if you get it. And it is a lot of money. We're talking about $176 billion. That's how much President Trump has demanded that Congress give you to spend next year.

(25:59)
Nevermind the fact that your department is spending taxpayers money so fast this year, you're about to be broke. Now you're saying you need $44 billion more, but all you've done is slash, burn, cut, dismantle, and tear apart DHS, since you got here. You cut programs at the Federal Emergency Management Agency that help Americans prepare for and recover from disasters. You are unlawfully withholding grant money meant to prevent terrorism, and respond to emergencies from local communities across the country. You cut programs at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, which prevents attacks on power lines, water treatment plants, schools, hospitals, and other critical infrastructure. You cut the number of transportation [inaudible 00:26:58] officer ports and our airplanes. You cut the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, which keeps DHS from digging into Americans private lives, and violating people's constitutional rights. You are making Americans less safe.

(27:17)
If you're cutting the things that help keep America safe, why should we give you an extra $44 billion? Is it to deport American citizen children with cancer? Is it to deport more veterans of the United States military? Is it to ignore the Supreme Court's order to facilitate the release of a lawful permanent resident you mistakenly shipped off to a foreign prison? Is it to punish people for exercising their First Amendment right? Is it to disappear more people off our streets with no due process, and ship them to a foreign dictator's prison? Is it to fire more military veterans who continue to serve their country by working for DHS? Is it to slash efforts to fight persistent threats from foreign terrorist organizations, and domestic terrorists? Is it to dismantle FEMA as hurricane season is about to get underway? Is it to decimate CISA, and invite China, Russia, Iran, and other adversaries into our cyber networks? Is it just to be mean, threaten, and deny due process to vulnerable people?

(28:44)
These are not hypotheticals. These are things that DHS has already done under your leadership, or is trying to do, Secretary Noem. Your policies and actions are so bad that Republican members have been running and hiding from their own constituents, refusing to hold town halls, because they know they cannot defend this administration. Republicans are unwilling to defend the Trump Administration with the folks back home. So I guess it's down to you to try to do that here today. But you can't defend the indefensible, Secretary Noem. Your department is out of control. On your watch, the department is breaking the law, it's hurting people, and it's making America less safe. The Trump Administration is outright lying to the courts, and the American people. Just last week, three members from New Jersey, all current members or former members of this committee tried to visit an ICE detention center, which they are permitted to do, as you know, by law without notice, to conduct the oversight after reports of issues at the facility.

(30:05)
Instead of following the law masked ICE personnel stopped, and assaulted the members. Then to make matters worse, instead of launching an investigation into the incident, your department lied to the press about the situation, and threatened to arrest members of Congress for doing their job. Absolutely outrageous. It's a sad day for the Department of Homeland Security. Frankly, I've never seen anything like it, and I've served as the lead Democrat on this committee from its start. Even when the secretary, my Republican colleagues and I had strong disagreements, we still had productive conversations, and did our duty to keep America safe. But that's not the case any longer. My colleagues across the aisle have sold their souls, or at least their spines, to Donald Trump. They try to cover the administration lies and blame Democrats for doing the job our constituents sent us here to do. Republicans have forgotten that Congress is a co-equal branch of government, and that the oath we take to the Constitution is the same as the president.

(31:25)
Republicans even want to cut Medicaid to fund tax breaks for millionaires. They put their billionaire buddies over the little guys every chance they get. And now you'll hear Secretary Noem with your handout looking for more taxpayer money to continue the slash-and-burn activities of the Department of Homeland Security over the past 100 or so days. Until the Trump administration starts following of the law, that's going to be a very, very hard sale.

US Representative Bennie Thompson (32:00):

Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

US Representative Mark Green (32:03):

Gentlemen yields. Other members of the committee are reminded that opening statements may be submitted for the record. I'm pleased to have the Secretary of Homeland Security before us today for the first time as secretary. I ask that Secretary Noem, you'd please rise and raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you will give before the Committee on Homeland Security, the United States House of Representatives will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you guide? Let the record reflect that the secretary has answered in the affirmative. Please take a seat.

(32:41)
I would now like to formally introduce our witness. The Honorable Kristi Noem currently serves as the eighth Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Prior to her appointment as secretary, she served as governor of South Dakota as a member of the US House of Representatives and in the South Dakota State Legislature. I thank the secretary for being here today and I now recognize Secretary Noem for five minutes to summarize her opening statement.

Kristi Noem (33:04):

Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and also thank you, Chairman McCaul. Good to see you again. I was very privileged to serve with you and I served in this body and to Ranking Member Thompson. I appreciate the invitation to be with all of you today and talk about important matters about securing our homeland here in the United States of America. Now, having previously served as a member of Congress, it's my honor to be on this side of the dais to present as the Secretary of Homeland Security. Today I'm proud to discuss the accomplishments of President Trump and all that he has accomplished since he's taken office in the White House. But first I would be remiss if I did not address the disturbing actions that we saw last week. There were members of this very committee that took part in an action at Delaney Hall on May 9th that need to be addressed.

(33:49)
I served as a member of Congress in this body for eight years and I understand the importance of congressional oversight. What happened on May 9th was not oversight. It was a political stunt that put the safety of our law enforcement officers, our agents, our staff, and our detainees at risk. Here are the facts. As a vehicle approached the security gate at Delaney Hall Detention Center, a mob of protesters, including three members of Congress, stormed the gate and they trespassed into the detention facility. We have footage of those members of Congress slamming their bodies into our law enforcement officers, shoving them, screaming profanities in their faces, striking them with their fists, and otherwise assaulting law enforcement. The behavior was lawlessness and it was beneath this body. Members of Congress should not break into detention centers or federal facilities. Had these members requested a tour, we certainly would've facilitated a tour.

(34:47)
As everybody knows, there are proper protocols and there are procedures that must be abided by. These congressional members and staff visit our facilities all of the time and these members could follow the policies that have been in place and if they would have been followed, we would have facilitated a tour of this important facility. However, even after these members assaulted our federal law enforcement officers, we still provided them with a tour of that facility. I'm glad that at their press conference following the tour, these members acknowledged that Delaney Hall is in good condition and meets deferral standards. Charges made by these politicians that Delaney does not have the proper permitting is false. We have valid permits and inspections for plumbing and electricity and fire codes that have been cleared. Lastly, I'd like to remind Americans and everyone in this body who is detained in this detention facility are murderers, rapists, known terrorists, MS-13 gang members, drug traffickers, and other heinous actors.

(35:52)
I hope that those members of Congress will so passionately protest on behalf of the American victims that they were elected to represent and not just violent criminals who are in this country illegally. And now that I've addressed this issue, I want to return to the reason why I'm in front of your committee today. I want to talk about the first 100 days under the Trump administration. Under President Trump and his leadership, we have already delivered for the American people a drastic turnaround in homeland security from the southern border to our Coast Guard to cyberspace, and we're just getting started. We've delivered the most secure border in American history. At the southern border, we have obtained near total control with daily encounters down 93% since President Trump has been in office. March saw the lowest numbers in American history of border encounters at just 7,200.

(36:43)
Under the previous administration, US Customs and Border Protection was at times under Joe Biden encountering over 15,000 people per day. This astonishing turnaround is a testament to the resolve and to the leadership of President Trump to make America safe again and as well it is a testament to the incredible work done by the men and women of the Department of Homeland Security. The secure border has allowed border patrol to zero in on fighting cartels and all of their illicit activities. Under President Trump's leadership, six cartels, four dangerous and criminal gangs have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations. This has allowed us to take a whole-of-government approach to address the illegal activities that these murderers and drug traffickers are taking on. In March, fentanyl traffic at the border fell by 54% compared to the previous year and we are enforcing immigration laws to identify, arrest, detain, and remove dangerous illegal criminals.

(37:41)
We're prioritizing those who have committed crimes and aliens who are a threat to public safety and national security, especially those that are affiliated with terrorist organizations like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua. This includes those that already have final orders of removal. We've also worked to enforce President Trump's America First trade agenda and Joe Biden's trade policies hollowed out our industrial base, shipped our jobs overseas. Our tariffs have been an effective negotiating tool and we're also reforming emergency management in this country. We have the FEMA Review Council, which will be doing its work to make recommendations to the White House. We are also addressing cybersecurity, making sure that CISA is back on mission at protecting the homeland, and the Coast Guard is the only US military branch under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security. We're making sure they have the resources and the vision to lead and be the point of the spear in the future.

(38:36)
Since I took office, one of the responsibilities that I have is in reforming the Secret Service. We've reassessed Secret Service's needs, gotten recruitment away from Biden administration's DEI objectives, and made sure that they are equipped and ready to take on the task of protecting the more powerful into the future. We are so grateful for their bravery, their dedication, and their patriotism. It's our responsibility to continue providing them with the resources that they need to continue to do the important work that they do. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you for the time today. Thank you for allowing me to be here to get the facts out to the American people and to members of this committee of all of the good work that the people of the Department of Homeland Security are doing to serve the American public. With that, I look forward to your questions.

US Representative Mark Green (39:19):

Thank you, Madam Secretary. Members will be recognized by order of seniority for their five minutes of questioning. Because we have a restricted time window for the secretary today, just as we did with the last secretary, I will again limit to five minutes, so if you're going to go over, you're going to get a light tap and then eventually we'll get a little heavier. But the goal here is… I will, as I always do, apply the standard equally to both sides. Five minutes is five minutes today. I now recognize myself for five minutes of questioning.

(39:55)
Secretary Noem, in the first 100 days, President Trump made border security a top priority by increasing immigration enforcement, deploying additional DHS and DOD personnel to the border, and restarting construction of the border wall. President Trump's decisive strategy was a sharp departure from his predecessor. Former President Biden refused to enforce federal immigration laws, sparking the most severe border crisis in our nation's history. Under President Trump's and your leadership, the tide has turned. Secretary Noem, which of the President's decisive actions do you believe sent the strongest message to both the cartels and would-be illegal border crossers that the United States is no longer open for exploitation?

Kristi Noem (40:38):

Mr. Chairman, I believe that the strongest thing President Trump did was to make an announcement that we would start following our federal laws, that not only would our border be secure, but that those who crossed it illegally would be considered breaking the law like it should be and that they would be prosecuted. They would be removed and that it would no longer be a facilitation of an invasion like the Biden administration had put forward. He clearly sent that message and before I was even sworn into this job, told me that I needed to be aggressive in going out there and telling the world that America was under new leadership, that we were a nation of laws, and that they would be in force going forward and that the people that lived here were going to be put first.

US Representative Mark Green (41:22):

Secretary Noem, the President has secured the border largely through executive action, but as we know from the Biden-Harris administration, those actions can be undone by subsequent presidents. What are the top two to three security immigration enforcement policies that Congress must act urgently to codify so they are no longer executive orders, but federal law?

Kristi Noem (41:44):

President Trump has specifically asked that the executive orders that he's put into place be codified into law so they could be long-lasting. So I'd encourage this body to look at everything that he has put forward in an executive order to see if it could be permanently enacted to secure our nation. I would say enforcement and clarity on what parole is, what asylum is. Give us some clarity to make sure that that is something that would be long-standing interpreted as to how it was intended when the original law was passed and then ensuring that we have the ability to take action when criminals are in this country. Continue to focusing on getting them out of their country and how those diplomatic relations work with repatriating their citizens back home.

US Representative Mark Green (42:30):

Secretary Noem, as I mentioned in my opening statement, you inherited an unprecedented border crisis. In the last four years, a total of over 1700 known or suspected terrorists were apprehended at the border and the four years prior to that, it was 11. 11, 1700. From your perspective as DHS secretary, can you highlight how the open board of policies of the last administration increased the risk to American families when it came to violent criminals and terrorists entering the country?

Kristi Noem (42:58):

Absolutely. Mr. Chairman, we truly don't have any idea how many dangerous individuals are still in the United States of America. Since President Trump has been in office, just in these few short months, we have deported over 250 known terrorists out of the country. These are individuals that were allowed to come into our country unchecked by the previous administration. We have deported thousands of criminals that have perpetuated the worst of the worst crimes on our communities, murders, rapists, child pornographers, traffickers, and we have returned them back to their home countries. The message that was sent by the last administration was, "Come to America, send your worst of your worst. They're given free rein to make a home here and given every opportunity, in fact we'll even facilitate their housing, their food, their clothing and take care of them and treat them better than we treat US citizens." That was Joe Biden's policies.

(43:53)
What President Trump has done is follow the law. He has implemented the law and said that American citizens should come first and be prioritized as far as their safety and that everybody should be treated equally, that the scales of justice should treat everyone exactly the same and that's what he has implemented. So I'm grateful he's given us the ability to go after the worst of the worst and to remove them from our country because our communities overwhelmingly get safer every day as these individuals are removed.

US Representative Mark Green (44:24):

Thank you and in keeping with my commitment to be inside my five minutes, I will now yield to the ranking member for his five minutes.

US Representative Bennie Thompson (44:35):

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. The Department of Homeland Security has been the top target on Donald Trump's revenge tour and you, Madam Secretary, are the chief accomplice. The Trump administration is hell-bent on destroying the Department of Homeland Security built through bipartisan collaboration over the past two decades and evading any accountability for its actions. Let's start with what the administration is doing to FEMA. Madam Secretary, you said that you want to get rid of FEMA. And the administration's plan is to shirk its disaster response obligation and leave state and local governments to fend for themselves. Emergency managers across the country are sounding the alarm about the limited ability to respond when disasters strike, but their calls are falling on deaf ears from the White House. What is the administration's plan to respond to catastrophic disasters beyond shifting responsibilities to states and local communities who are already telling you they don't have the ability to respond?

Kristi Noem (45:52):

Well, Congressman, President Trump has been very clear that he believes that FEMA should be eliminated as it exists today. He believes there's dramatic reforms that need to happen to the agency in order for it to truly serve people in a time of crisis. He wants to empower states and local governments to respond to their people. The federal government would be there for resources support much like block grants, but that we need to empower those locally to respond to their people because they know what they need. So that is something that every state is at a different position today to respond, but he wants to give them the opportunity to build up the infrastructure-

US Representative Bennie Thompson (46:29):

Thank you very much.

Kristi Noem (46:30):

To respond to their emergency.

US Representative Bennie Thompson (46:31):

Madam Secretary. Do you have this plan in writing?

Kristi Noem (46:35):

The White House is coming forward with the participation of the FEMA Review Council, which we have members from many states that are sitting on that will be making recommendations but the blueprint-

US Representative Bennie Thompson (46:45):

So what you're doing doing now, there's nothing in writing as a guidepost?

Kristi Noem (46:53):

Well, sir, you certainly know that there are reform bills here in the House side and in the Senate side of how to address the failures of FEMA from the past.

US Representative Bennie Thompson (47:00):

No, but you are the secretary-

Kristi Noem (47:01):

Also be considered with the FEMA Review Council-

US Representative Bennie Thompson (47:01):

You're the secretary.

Kristi Noem (47:01):

Recommendations.

US Representative Bennie Thompson (47:02):

No. You're the secretary and you say you're doing all these things and I'm just asking you do you have a written plan for what you're doing?

Kristi Noem (47:13):

There is no formalized final plan for how this goes forward because the input of Congress is critically important. As you know, there are statutory requirements of the agency.

US Representative Bennie Thompson (47:22):

Well, I'm glad you recognize-

Kristi Noem (47:23):

And it needs to be-

US Representative Bennie Thompson (47:24):

Madam Secretary-

Kristi Noem (47:24):

Recommendation.

US Representative Bennie Thompson (47:25):

I'm glad you recognize the statutory requirements. Washington State, Mississippi, and a couple other states already have requests in to you or to the President for the last declaration and it's taken an inordinate amount of time, more than normal. I just want to know is that inordinate amount of time based on some plan that you have knowledge of? But if it's not in writing, I understand. So you talked about the rule of law. Are you telling the committee that due process for anybody that's picked up in this country should not be followed?

Kristi Noem (48:19):

Congressman, we have utilized due process as it is laid out and the tools that Congress has given us. We have followed the tools and the processes which Congress has given us to give due process to people appropriately as it is due.

US Representative Bennie Thompson (48:33):

So your testimony to this committee under oath is that everybody that ICE has picked up in this country has been given every opportunity as Section 5 under the Constitution provides?

Kristi Noem (48:48):

Correct. I believe everybody has gotten due process and every person has been treated appropriately according to the civil or the criminal action to which they were encountering individuals and brought into our detainment and then also removed from this country.

US Representative Bennie Thompson (49:04):

So your answer is yes?

Kristi Noem (49:05):

The tools that you have given us as this body-

US Representative Bennie Thompson (49:09):

I'm talking about the Constitution of the United States. I'm not talking about tools. The Constitution is clear.

Kristi Noem (49:13):

Correct. And?

US Representative Bennie Thompson (49:14):

And your testimony under oath to this committee is that everybody that ICE has picked up and any other agency of DHS has conformed to those statutes?

Kristi Noem (49:25):

For example, Congressman, expedited removal-

US Representative Bennie Thompson (49:29):

No, I don't need an-

Kristi Noem (49:29):

Expedited removal is one of the tools that you have given-

US Representative Bennie Thompson (49:31):

Madam Secretary-

Kristi Noem (49:31):

Us to utilize as due process, sir.

US Representative Bennie Thompson (49:33):

I just need a yes or no.

Kristi Noem (49:34):

Sir, that is the due process tool that you have given us to utilize that has been appropriately-

US Representative Bennie Thompson (49:39):

So obvious-

US Representative Mark Green (49:39):

Gentleman's time has expired.

US Representative Dan Goldman (49:40):

I have a unanimous consent request, chairman.

US Representative Mark Green (49:43):

I'm sorry?

US Representative Dan Goldman (49:44):

I have a unanimous consent request.

US Representative Mark Green (49:48):

Let's hear it.

US Representative Dan Goldman (49:49):

I would like to introduce Kristi Noem versus Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a nine-nothing Supreme Court case where the Supreme Court found that Mr. Abrego Garcia did not receive due process.

US Representative Mark Green (50:04):

Without objection, so ordered. I now recognize Mr. McCaul for his five minutes of questioning.

US Representative Michael McCaul (50:10):

Madam Secretary, it was great to serve with you in Congress. It was an honor and it's an honor to see you as Secretary of this important department. Let me say on behalf of my state of Texas, thank you for what you've done in a very short period of time. I have worked on this issue as a federal prosecutor, as chairman of this committee for over 25 years. I never saw the border more broken, more chaotic than I did under the prior administration. Yet within months, you have restored order to the border and the stats speak for themselves and I want to commend you and President Trump for that. On day one, they rescinded the Remain in Mexico policy, which led to the chaos. It said, "We're open for business, come on in." And they did.

(50:59)
Over 10 million encounters, 2 million got-aways. Yet within months of your administration, that number's gone down 93%. Catch and release, I've been fighting that one for years. The Biden administration did away with it. Now we're decreased to 99.99%, almost zero catch and release, a very dangerous policy. Remain in Mexico has been on the books for 30 years yet I marked it up on the Foreign Affairs Committee last year as part of the Secure Border Ac.t most offensively and the reason I was an impeachment manager against Mayorkas was his dereliction of duty to basically prioritize allowing aggravated felons into the country even though Congress by federal law said, "Shall detain aggravated felons." Yet what did he do? He told his agents, "That's discretionary. You can release these dangerous criminals into our society." What have you done within months? 50 days, you have 14,000 criminal aliens arrested, some of the most brutal gang members like MS-13 and TDA and it's making this country safer.

(52:18)
Fentanyl, each year more Americans die from fentanyl than the number of Americans who died in the Vietnam War over 20 years. You recently had the largest massive seizure of these deadly drugs just this last couple weeks by the Sinaloa Cartel. And again, my state thanks you for that. Terrorism, you said 250 known suspected terrorists have been deported. We saw after the debacle of the collapse of Afghanistan, when Bagram was shut down, the prisons were unleashed, ISIS-K went to the Khorasan region, crossed into the United States, and eight were found plotting in this country. You are making this country safer by your actions. The Biden administration made it dangerous and it didn't have to take a bunch of new laws. It needed new leadership, which you have provided and the President has provided as well.

(53:20)
My question to you is, as you know, reconciliation, you need resources and nobody knows that better than I do. We marked up a bill about $70 billion that can be put into your department to start enforcing these laws already passed by the Congress. The Foreign Terrorist Organization designation was huge. Let me just ask you this, how will this bill, the reconciliation bill, assist you in your efforts to continue and promote safety in the United States?

Kristi Noem (53:56):

Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I appreciate all of your leadership on our national security issues in the past and still continue in the future to focus on that. The reconciliation bill is imperative to our future and securing our nation. For years previous, the Department of Homeland Security has been neglected. It's one of the larger agencies in the federal government with one of the smallest budgets and certainly under the previous administration, the Coast Guard was hollowed out, Border Patrol and ICE were not allowed to do their jobs. They were not allowed to invest in new technologies that they could utilize for interdiction. Also, our borders need surveillance and technology to make sure that we know who's coming into this country and why. Our ports of entry need new scanners so that we're truly scanning our shipping containers and much of our air freight. We don't know what's coming in by air either.

(54:47)
Those kinds of adjustments and technology and software upgrades are needed to compete, but also to secure our country with the threats that we face. And we don't just face threats from gangs and cartels, it's from China and PRC and Iran and hackers that come into our system. Salt and Volt Typhoon have taught us that we're extremely vulnerable to these kinds of attempts in the future. In fact, one of the most alarming things I heard as soon as I was nominated for this position was in a briefing from CISA that told me that they knew with Salt Typhoon that we had been hacked, but they also said they didn't know how it happened or how to stop it in the future. Now the main goal of CISA is to hunt and to harden our systems, hunt bad actors and harden our systems for our small and medium sized critical infrastructure. Department of Homeland Security has 10 of the 16 components of critical infrastructure and that's what we need to focus our resources on.

US Representative Michael McCaul (55:45):

Thank you.

US Representative Mark Green (55:45):

The gentleman's time has expired. I now recognize Mr. Swalwell for five minutes of questioning.

US Representative Eric Swalwell (55:50):

Thank you, Madam Secretary. You have an important job. I think you have one of the most important jobs in the Cabinet. Thank you for doing it. I want you to have credibility and be taken seriously as you do the job. And so I want to put to rest this question about Mr. Garcia in this photo that the President posted on April 21. Madam Secretary, you agree that the letters MS and the number 13 in times Roman numeral font, that they are doctored on this photo, right?

Kristi Noem (56:25):

Congressman, Abrego Garcia-

US Representative Eric Swalwell (56:27):

No, no, I'm just asking about this photo.

Kristi Noem (56:28):

Member of MS-13-

US Representative Eric Swalwell (56:29):

This photo.

Kristi Noem (56:29):

It wasn't based off of tattoos.

US Representative Eric Swalwell (56:30):

Okay.

Kristi Noem (56:30):

It was based off an entire case.

US Representative Eric Swalwell (56:31):

And I'll accept that.

Kristi Noem (56:34):

Entire case against him.

US Representative Eric Swalwell (56:34):

For the purpose of this question, you agree though that this is doctored? Is that right?

Kristi Noem (56:38):

The same protocols that are-

US Representative Eric Swalwell (56:39):

Madam Secretary, I want you to have credibility-

Kristi Noem (56:41):

Law enforcement.

US Representative Eric Swalwell (56:42):

And I want you to be taken seriously. Is this doctored or is it not doctored?

Kristi Noem (56:45):

I'm taken quite seriously.

US Representative Eric Swalwell (56:46):

Is it doctored or not doctored?

Kristi Noem (56:48):

Job with the importance that the President has given me to do the job.

US Representative Eric Swalwell (56:50):

I understand. Is it doctored or not doctored?

Kristi Noem (56:52):

The thing that's important to remember is that every single time a case is built-

US Representative Eric Swalwell (56:55):

Madam Secretary, I have a seven-year-old, six-year-old, and a three-year-old, I have a bullshit detector. I'm just asking you is this doctored or not doctored?

Kristi Noem (57:04):

Sir, the protocols in the case built against Abrego Garcia were exactly the same.

US Representative Eric Swalwell (57:08):

Can you answer the question?

Kristi Noem (57:09):

I don't have any knowledge as to that photo you're pointing to.

US Representative Eric Swalwell (57:11):

Okay. Can you take-

Kristi Noem (57:12):

I don't, sir.

US Representative Eric Swalwell (57:12):

Show her the photo. Walk with the photo down there. No, down that one. Please take a look at this photo. It was tweeted by the President on April 21. It's been hanging out there for about a month.

Kristi Noem (57:23):

So what is your point?

US Representative Eric Swalwell (57:24):

My question is the numbers and the letter, MS 13… Could you look at the photo please? It's right in front of you.

Kristi Noem (57:29):

Are you saying that Abrego Garcia is not a wife beater?

US Representative Eric Swalwell (57:31):

No, ma'am-

Kristi Noem (57:32):

That he's not a criminal?

US Representative Eric Swalwell (57:33):

Ma'am-

Kristi Noem (57:33):

He's not a human trafficker, he's not a member of MS-13?

US Representative Eric Swalwell (57:36):

You've vouched for Mr. Garcia when your team sent… Ma'am, you vouched for him when you said he was mistakenly deported. I didn't vouch for him.

Kristi Noem (57:43):

I did not say that.

US Representative Eric Swalwell (57:44):

In that photo-

Kristi Noem (57:45):

He should have been deported. Absolutely.

US Representative Eric Swalwell (57:46):

It's so telling you won't look at the photo-

Kristi Noem (57:48):

And we will not be bringing him back to-

US Representative Eric Swalwell (57:51):

Was it doctored or not?

Kristi Noem (57:52):

In staying here-

US Representative Eric Swalwell (57:53):

Can you look to your right at the photo in front of you? Madam Secretary, can you look to the right at the photo in front of you?

Kristi Noem (57:59):

I have seen this photo as you held it behind your heads.

US Representative Eric Swalwell (58:02):

Thank you. And the letters Ms and the numbers 13, are those doctored or not?

Kristi Noem (58:08):

Is the entire testimony today on a doctored photo? You don't want to talk about the facts?

US Representative Eric Swalwell (58:11):

Okay.

Kristi Noem (58:12):

And the importance of our national security?

US Representative Eric Swalwell (58:14):

You acknowledge it was doctored?

Kristi Noem (58:16):

You don't want make sure that the United States is protected?

US Representative Eric Swalwell (58:17):

Madam Secretary, this is not a hard question. Are those doctored or not? Is that actually on his hand or not?

Kristi Noem (58:25):

This is unbelievable to me that your focus is-

US Representative Eric Swalwell (58:27):

It's unbelievable to me that you can't look at the photo and tell the American people.

Kristi Noem (58:30):

I have looked at the photo, but I don't have any knowledge as to this photo.

US Representative Eric Swalwell (58:33):

Okay, so it's been hanging out there for four weeks. You are one of the chief law enforcement officials in the country. What have you done to investigate whether the President misrepresented the reason that that person has been detained?

Kristi Noem (58:47):

Sir-

US Representative Eric Swalwell (58:47):

Have you done anything to try and figure out whether that was doctored or not?

Kristi Noem (58:50):

The mission of the Department of Homeland Security is to secure our nation and to make sure that we're out there going after those that are the worst of the worst, the criminals, the bad actors. Abrego Garcia-

US Representative Eric Swalwell (59:01):

So the answer is you've done nothing to correct the President.

Kristi Noem (59:05):

Terrorist, member of MS-13, a wife beater, and a human trafficker that should never have been in this country to begin with.

US Representative Eric Swalwell (59:10):

So Madam Secretary… Thank you, Mr. Burnett. Two weeks ago your agency deported a four-year-old American citizen in a stage four cancer battle. What are you doing to get him back to the country so he can get his treatment?

Kristi Noem (59:24):

Congressman, his mother wished to keep her family together and to take her child with her. So as every single person is given the opportunity to… Medical care is given throughout the process.

US Representative Eric Swalwell (59:35):

Okay, so it sounds like nothing.

Kristi Noem (59:36):

And for this child medical care was confirmed in their home country so that it would continue and those treatments and whatever needs were needed to be had into the future were confirmed to be provided there before-

US Representative Eric Swalwell (59:46):

The child's home country is the United States. Do you believe you have a right to deport a US citizen?

Kristi Noem (59:52):

That mother chose to keep her family together and that is what President Trump is focused on making sure-

US Representative Eric Swalwell (59:57):

That's not the facts of the case.

Kristi Noem (59:58):

Yes, it is the facts.

US Representative Eric Swalwell (59:59):

Madam Secretary, moving on-

Kristi Noem (01:00:01):

Confirm that she wanted to keep the child with her-

US Representative Eric Swalwell (01:00:02):

You have a right-

Kristi Noem (01:00:04):

And our families and parents are given that ability to keep their children with them when they return to their home countries.

US Representative Eric Swalwell (01:00:09):

Madam Secretary, do you have a right to deport a US citizen?

Kristi Noem (01:00:12):

No, we do not deport US citizens and have not deported US citizens.

US Representative Eric Swalwell (01:00:16):

Except the four-year-old that we just-

Kristi Noem (01:00:18):

No, that mother chose to keep her child with her and that is her prerogative. And the law was followed in allowing her the opportunity to do that.

US Representative Eric Swalwell (01:00:24):

So Madam Secretary, I'm a former prosecutor. I have put people away for life sentences who are gang members. I don't need to wear costumes to show how tough I am. What makes me different from you is when I put those individuals away, I did it with the weight of the law behind me and I yield back.

Miss Greene (01:00:44):

Mr. Chairman-

US Representative Mark Green (01:00:44):

Gentlemen yields.

Miss Greene (01:00:45):

I ask unanimous consent to enter an article from Fox 45 that states documents reveal a second protective order filed by the wife against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whom also had two deportation orders.

US Representative Mark Green (01:01:04):

Without objection, so ordered. I now recognize Mr. Higgins for five minutes of questioning.

US Representative Clay Higgins (01:01:10):

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My, my, my. Our Democrat colleagues really love illegals in our country. It stunning for regular Americans like me to listen to this passionate and contentious defense for the previous administration's policies and the resultant millions upon millions upon millions of illegals that entered our country over the last four years. I tell you where we're… I'm not going to use my colleagues… The same language because I don't think that kind of language should be used in committee, but I tell you where we heard loads of not necessarily genuine statements. It was from Secretary Mayorkas for four years. We had to listen to his testimony again and again, how he needed more resources, he needed more laws and Congress had to pass more laws.

(01:02:22)
We said for years, "What you need is to enforce the laws that we currently have on the books. You need policies that would actually control the border." And we have Madam Secretary before us representing an administration that has done just that. You have the same 1,954 miles of border that you had a year ago is now under control, you have the same men and women that you had a year ago, the border is now under control. You have the same equipment, the same all-weather roads, everything is the same. The only thing that has changed is the policies coming out of the White House and a Secretary of Homeland Security that will actually execute the laws of our land and protect the citizenry of our country. That's Madam Secretary Noem who sits before us, and she should be spoken to with some modicum of respect from my Democrat colleagues.

(01:03:19)
It's amazing… Our border is secured versus wide, open, and wild, and Democrats complain and they're angry and they protest. Illegals are being deported rather than waved in and imported and Democrats are angry and protesting. It's stunning to Americans to witness this. Madam Secretary, thank you, good lady, for the job that you're doing, securing our borders and protecting the citizenry that we are elected to represent in this body. I work for the American

US Representative Clay Higgins (01:04:00):

… citizenry, and every one of us has sworn that oath. The difference between the parties has never been more stark. We represent law and order and American citizens and American enforcement of our laws. My goodness gracious.

US Representative Mark Green (01:04:21):

[inaudible 01:04:23].

US Representative Clay Higgins (01:04:23):

Thank you, madam, for so graciously enduring the assault that you have. I'd like to touch on the 287(g) program. Thank you for partnering with our local and state law enforcement to work together to secure our borders. This is an excellent program. You have voiced support for it. Can you speak, Madam Secretary Noem? Can you speak to the importance of the DHS partnering with local and state law enforcement, including programs like 287(g)?

Kristi Noem (01:05:00):

Well, thank you, congressman. Yes, 287(g) has been a wonderful program for many years, but not utilized during the previous administration. It's a partnership between federal law enforcement officers and also our state and local law enforcement to give them the same authorities to operate in a task force model to go out and to really make sure that we're going after individuals that have broken our laws, that have perpetuated violence in our communities, bring them into incarceration, and get them out of our country if they don't belong here. It has been a fantastic partnership, one that President Trump has encouraged us to pursue and to continue to build out across the country.

US Representative Clay Higgins (01:05:40):

Yes, ma'am-

Kristi Noem (01:05:40):

To date, we have-

US Representative Clay Higgins (01:05:41):

… that program and others like it are going to be heavily supported by Republicans on this committee. Finally, ma'am, in my remaining 25 seconds, we speak to the efforts to locate the children. Thousands and thousands and thousands of children waved into our country during the last four years, and they're lost to the interior. Many are being trafficked and abused. Can you speak to the efforts to find these kids?

Kristi Noem (01:06:07):

Yeah. Up to 300,000 children were lost or missing under the Biden administration. We have located and returned over 5,000 of them to their homes and to their families, but there's many more to be found and to be returned and brought to safety. So we're continuing to work on that every day, and our HSI officers spend a lot of time and are the experts in the field at training local law enforcement to identify and find them as well.

US Representative Clay Higgins (01:06:32):

Thank you, madam.

US Representative Mark Green (01:06:33):

[inaudible 01:06:33], your time-

US Representative Clay Higgins (01:06:33):

You'll expect full support there. Mr. Chairman, I yield.

US Representative Mark Green (01:06:33):

… has expired. I now recognize-

Mr. Magaziner (01:06:40):

Mr. Chairman, I'd ask unanimous consent to introduce the article from PBS NewsHour entitled Children Who Are US Citizens Deported along with Foreign Mothers, in which the attorney for that four-year-old US citizen says that at no time did his mother consent to the child, US citizen, being removed from the country. [inaudible 01:06:58].

US Representative Mark Green (01:06:57):

Without objection, so ordered. I recognize Mr. Correa for five minutes of questions.

Mr. Correa (01:07:02):

Thank you, Mr. Secretary. First of all, Secretary Noem, welcome to this committee. I had the honor of hearing testimony from Secretary Kelly, Secretary Mayorkas, and of course you. Welcome. We all have the same interests which are protecting Americans, American taxpayers as we move forward in our jobs.

(01:07:23)
I want to say that your testimony and my colleague from Louisiana and myself have the same interests, which are to protect Americans, especially to protect children, especially to protect American citizen children.

(01:07:39)
That's where my concern is, Madam Secretary, that your administration, I believe has consistently violated the law by denying due process to US-born American children. Under your watch, you've deported American children, US-born children.

(01:07:59)
Some of the examples … I only have five minutes to talk about it, but I'll come back to the case that was described or discussed a little while ago, which was two American children, four and seven, were put on a plane with their mother, sent to Honduras within 24 hours of being detained.

(01:08:15)
There was an attorney involved. We're debating right now the issue, as you stated, that the mother wanted the child to go with her. But there was an attorney involved. That person was not consulted. That family was denied the opportunity to talk to that attorney. The attorney was there. What is wrong with asking the attorney?

(01:08:39)
You've got a family that had been checking in, following ICE direction. Check in, bring your family to check in. They weren't let out. That happens in my district all the time. Families check in to ICE. If ICE determines they should be deported, do you know what we do? I call ICE and I say give them 30 days.

(01:09:01)
Some of these families have been in this country 20, 30 years. Give them 30 days to get their situation in order. Make sure that they figure out how to keep their American children in the US. Give them the opportunity to make an educated decision on the lives of American citizens.

(01:09:22)
In this case and other cases, ma'am, you have split-second decisions to make a decision on those children, and you, Madam Secretary, also make split-second decisions based on whatever coerced discussion you're having with that mother. I say coerced because when you're scared to death, your life is about to change, and you've got an attorney next door, that you will not permit that family to consult with that attorney, you got an issue.

(01:09:50)
Case number two, two-year-old American daughter, also deported to Honduras. They were also denied access to their lawyers. According to her lawyer, ICE prevented the mother from speaking to the lawyer or anyone else in the family. Two-year-old American citizen. Can't we slow it down and just take a moment before they're deported in 24 hours? The mom didn't want the daughter to stay in the United States. They may have had relatives in the United States, family. Even the own Trump-appointed federal judge overseeing this case has said that he had a strong suspicion that the government just deported a US citizen with no meaningful due process.

(01:10:41)
Madam Secretary, I think we're all in agreement here. Let's go after MS-13. Let's go after drug dealers. Let's go after Tren de Aragua, the bad folks who hurt my community as well as everybody else's community.

(01:10:54)
But I fail to see where a child, two-year-old, four-year-old, seven- year-old children, could be on your top priorities for deportations. This is still America. Due process, the Fifth Amendment. Madam Secretary, I know ICE agents. I deal with them all the time. I've toured the southern border, blue uniforms, green uniforms, talking to them about what they need to do the job.

(01:11:21)
I'm more than happy to have that discussion with you, publicly or privately, but deporting US-born children, ignoring their attorneys? Take a deep breath. You've been here 20, 30 years. A lot of the times back home, when I ask the ICE agents give them 30 days, you know what, without fail, that person comes back or self-deports. We can do better.

(01:11:51)
Madam Secretary, I'm going to ask you one last question in nine seconds. You're under oath. Have you fired, retired, dismissed, any DHS agents that have not followed your policies?

Kristi Noem (01:12:05):

What kind of agents, sir?

Mr. Correa (01:12:06):

DHS, Homeland Security, agents.

Kristi Noem (01:12:08):

DHS agents?

Mr. Correa (01:12:09):

Yes.

Kristi Noem (01:12:09):

Specific law enforcement officers?

Mr. Correa (01:12:11):

Yes, ma'am. Officers under your watch.

Kristi Noem (01:12:13):

I haven't given any specific orders to any law enforcement officers under the Department of Homeland Security. So there are, within the Department of Homeland Security, 280,000 employees, 47,000 of them are Coast Guard individuals. So 230,000 individuals are employees and we're very proud of the work that they do.

(01:12:37)
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for recognizing that it's Police Week. We have many agencies that have law enforcement officers in them. They get up every single day to serve their communities and to make sure that our laws matter and that they're enforced appropriately and that no one is treated differently than someone else.

US Representative Mark Green (01:12:54):

Gentleman's time has expired. I now recognize Mr. Guest from Mississippi.

Miss Greene (01:12:58):

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to enter for the record the Prince George's County Police Department gang field interview sheet in Maryland from 2019, where they interviewed Kilmar Abrego Garcia and identified through his clothing and his statements that he is indeed an MS-13 gang member.

US Representative Mark Green (01:13:25):

Without objection, so ordered.

Miss Greene (01:13:26):

I'd also ask unanimous consent to enter for the record an article that quotes Kilmar Abrego's wife stating, "I am afraid with another protective order filing against deported Maryland man championed by the Democrats. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

US Representative Mark Green (01:13:45):

Without objection-

Mr. Goldman (01:13:46):

Mr. Chairman, I have unanimous consent request.

US Representative Mark Green (01:13:48):

Without disagreement, we'll put that one in as unanimous consent. You're recognized.

Mr. Goldman (01:13:56):

Mr. Chairman, if you have it, I would like to introduce by unanimous consent a court order establishing that Kilmar Abrego Garcia is a member of MS-13.

US Representative Mark Green (01:14:07):

You're submitting what for unanimous consent?

Mr. Goldman (01:14:10):

Well, there isn't one, so I'm wondering if you have it.

US Representative Mark Green (01:14:12):

I do not have that.

Mr. Goldman (01:14:13):

Okay.

US Representative Mark Green (01:14:13):

Are we ready to go on with the next testimony? Mr. Guest, you're recognized for five minutes.

Mr. Guest (01:14:17):

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Madam Secretary, thank you for being here. Thank you for your leadership. Please thank the men and women that serve under you for the incredible job that they do.

(01:14:29)
I want to particularly thank you for enforcing the law, something that we did not see under the previous administration. In the short time that you have been serving as secretary, we have seen a dramatic decrease, as much as 95%, along our southern border. I also want to thank you for locating the 5,000-plus missing children that just in three months you and your agency have been able to find and, in some cases, possibly rescue them from what could have been very dangerous situations.

(01:15:05)
I echo what Congressman Higgins talked about a minute ago. The law has not changed since you have become secretary. The budget has not changed since you've become secretary. The resources that you have, the number of agents have not changed since you've become secretary, but yet we have seen a dramatic decrease in the number of border crossings because you and the men and women who serve under you have chosen to enforce the law.

(01:15:34)
I want to push back a little bit on some of the narratives that are being put out by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. First is the allegations, the reckless allegations, which are completely false and untrue, that you and your agency are deporting American citizens. I heard you try to answer that question. I don't know if you were able to be able to get that answer out there. And so, I want to give you that opportunity.

(01:16:03)
But as I understand the situation, we were deporting an illegal alien who was a parent, and that parent then decided to make the decision to take their children with them. And so, I don't know if my friends on the other side of the aisle would ask that we separate those and say, no, those parents cannot do that, that the federal government knows better and that these children are going to have to stay in the United States, or maybe they believe that a parent who is an illegal that has a child, therefore, is going to be allowed to remain here indefinitely regardless of whether or not there's a final removal, regardless of whether there are any criminal charges or anything pending against those individuals.

(01:16:40)
And so, the instances that have been brought up, Madam Secretary, where there have been allegations that you or your agency has removed American citizens, I just want to give you a brief opportunity to address that. Is that true? If it's not true, please tell us and please share with this committee the truth behind those situations.

Kristi Noem (01:17:05):

Congressman, the children that were referenced previously in the testimony of the gentleman, in both of those cases, the mothers chose to keep their children with them when they returned home to their home country. That is a priority of President Trump, to keep families unified. We have instances where mothers from other countries have decided that their children should stay here in the United States and left them with family members or someone else that they trusted. But these two mothers that they were referencing earlier decided to take their children home with them and wanted to return to their home countries as a family. That is something-

Mr. Guest (01:17:39):

And so, we are giving the parents the choice and then we are honoring whatever their request. Is that what I understand from you, Madam Secretary?

Kristi Noem (01:17:46):

That is correct, sir. That is correct, sir.

Mr. Guest (01:17:47):

Then I want to talk about one more issue in the last minute and a half that I have, this issue of due process, where you were asked earlier, are we giving individuals due process? You talked about the fact that we are complying with the law that Congress has given the department. I think specifically, and tell me if I'm wrong, I think you're talking about the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act of 1996 that created this process known as expedited removal. We know that that law in 1996 that it passed Congress overwhelmingly, at both the House and the Senate.

(01:18:23)
I will tell you that I see here a comment that was made by that time President Clinton, and this is what President Clinton said about that law. It said, "President Clinton asserted that the legislation strengthened the rule of law by cracking down on illegal immigration at the border, in the workplace, and in the criminal justice system without punishing those living in the United States legally."

(01:18:47)
And so, as I understand it as it relates to the issue of due process, you are following the law as Congress gave you almost 30 years ago. This Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act has been upheld repeatedly over the last 30 years by the court. You're enforcing final orders of removal. And so, Madam Secretary, in the last 10 seconds that I have, are you following the law and are you giving these individuals the due process that you are required to give them?

Kristi Noem (01:19:15):

Yes, Congressman. We are using the due process tools that Congress has afforded us in these instances to ensure that everyone is treated the same and appropriately.

Mr. Guest (01:19:24):

Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

US Representative Mark Green (01:19:26):

Gentleman yields. I now recognize Mr. Magaziner for five minutes.

Mr. Magaziner (01:19:30):

Madam Secretary, on April 24th, a woman in Louisiana was deported along with her seven-year-old daughter and four-year-old son, both of whom were US citizens. The four-year-old son had stage four cancer. Now you just stated under oath that the mother consented to having her US citizen children removed. But I have spoken with the attorney for that US citizen child with stage four cancer. She has also made numerous statements to the press in which she stated unequivocally that at no time did the mother consent to her US citizen children being removed. What evidence do you have to support your claim that she did consent?

Kristi Noem (01:20:09):

Congressman, we followed the same policies and procedures for every individual-

Mr. Magaziner (01:20:11):

What evidence do you have-

Kristi Noem (01:20:13):

… and we have documentation.

Mr. Magaziner (01:20:14):

What evidence do you have-

Kristi Noem (01:20:15):

We have documentation that that mother-

Mr. Magaziner (01:20:16):

What documentation do you have that that mother consented?

Kristi Noem (01:20:19):

We will get that to you, sir. I don't have it with me.

Mr. Magaziner (01:20:21):

Please do. I understand-

Kristi Noem (01:20:21):

But that mother consented to take her child with her.

Mr. Magaziner (01:20:21):

… it's hard to keep them all straight because you've deported multiple US citizen children, but I'm asking specifically about the four-year-old with cancer who was deported on April 25th. For the record, that family was also not given access to legal counsel before they were deported, even though their lawyer was in the same building at the time.

(01:20:41)
I'm holding in my hands here a document called ICE Directive 1164, Interests of Non-Citizen Parents and Legal Guardians of Minor Children. This is the policy for how ICE agents should handle situations like this. It states unequivocally that parents and legal guardians should have the ability to make alternative care arrangements for minor children prior to their arrest or detention and that ICE must afford parents the opportunity to consult with legal counsel.

(01:21:08)
So did the ice agents working on this case who deported this four-year-old with cancer of their own volition fail to follow ICE policies or were they directed to by your office or anyone else in DHS leadership?

Kristi Noem (01:21:23):

Sir, this mother chose to keep her child with her-

Mr. Magaziner (01:21:25):

You have not produced any evidence to say so.

Kristi Noem (01:21:27):

… and went to return back to her home country-

Mr. Magaziner (01:21:27):

But I'm asking again, have you directed-

Kristi Noem (01:21:29):

… and that is the priority of President Trump is to keep families unified together.

Mr. Magaziner (01:21:30):

Have you directed DHS officers to ignore this policy?

Kristi Noem (01:21:34):

It's very different than the previous administration.

Mr. Magaziner (01:21:36):

All right.

Kristi Noem (01:21:36):

The previous administration separated families over and over and over again.

Mr. Magaziner (01:21:38):

On March 15th … Reclaiming my time.

Kristi Noem (01:21:40):

This is a change.

Mr. Magaziner (01:21:41):

On March 15th, your department sent three airplanes to El Salvador. Those planes carried approximately 261 individuals who were imprisoned upon arrival. Did you personally review and approve the names of those 261 individuals before they were sent?

Kristi Noem (01:21:55):

Sir, we have deported and sent home thousands and thousands of individuals-

Mr. Magaziner (01:22:00):

Did you review the names of those individuals? Did any-

Kristi Noem (01:22:03):

… and we have individuals that have the responsibility-

Mr. Magaziner (01:22:03):

Why won't you answer the question?

Kristi Noem (01:22:04):

… within the Department of Homeland Security, sir.

Mr. Magaziner (01:22:05):

Are you aware of whether those 261 individuals were given the opportunity to speak with a lawyer or appear before a judge before they were put on those planes, yes or no?

Kristi Noem (01:22:13):

Sir, every single individual followed the exact same process. We followed everyone who was in this country illegally.

Mr. Magaziner (01:22:19):

They were not all given the opportunity to appear before a judge or speak with a lawyer.

Kristi Noem (01:22:23):

It was true in this case.

Mr. Magaziner (01:22:23):

On April 7th, the Supreme Court ruled that detainees must have an opportunity to have a hearing before they are deported. Are you familiar with the April 7th Supreme Court ruling?

Kristi Noem (01:22:32):

I am.

Mr. Magaziner (01:22:33):

Can you assure us that in the future, you will abide by that Supreme Court ruling to provide detainees with a hearing before they are deported?

Kristi Noem (01:22:40):

We are following all judges' orders. Yes, sir.

Mr. Magaziner (01:22:43):

I have a photograph here of Andry Hernández Romero, a gay makeup artist from Venezuela. He fled Venezuela fearing gang violence because of his opposition to the Maduro dictatorship and his sexual orientation. He presented himself at a port of entry and requested asylum. His claim was found to be credible and he was placed in detention to await a full hearing, but he never received a full hearing because you put him on one of those planes to El Salvador where he still is today.

(01:23:10)
Listen to me, he had no criminal record in the United States or in any other country. He did not even enter the country illegally. He presented at a port of entry. He tried to do it the legal way. To this date, the only evidence your department has presented to justify his imprisonment is that he had two tattoos, one that said mom and one that said dad. Do you have any other evidence to present for why this individual should be locked up in El Salvador?

Kristi Noem (01:23:37):

Sir, every case has used-

Mr. Magaziner (01:23:39):

Do you have any-

Kristi Noem (01:23:39):

… the same protocols and the same processes and inputs that other law enforcement officers are using for other cases.

Mr. Magaziner (01:23:44):

Do you have any evidence other than the tattoos that say mom or dad for why this individual should be locked up?

Kristi Noem (01:23:49):

So it's not just on tattoos. It's who they're affiliated with, their communication, who they're spending time with, criminal activities.

Mr. Magaziner (01:23:52):

You have not presented any other evidence, nor has your department … Reclaiming my time.

Kristi Noem (01:23:55):

The case has been [inaudible 01:23:56] exactly the same as it is with other [inaudible 01:23:57].

Mr. Magaziner (01:23:56):

During your confirmation hearing, you said your focus would be on deporting immigrants who have been convicted of crimes and those who have received removal orders, but that is not what you have been doing. Instead, you have been deporting children with cancer, children who are US citizens, a gay makeup artist who committed no crime and didn't even enter the country illegally. You have been sloppy. Your department has been sloppy. Instead of focusing on real criminals, you have allowed innocent children to be deported while you fly around the country playing dress up for the cameras. Instead of enforcing the laws, you have repeatedly broken them. You need to change course immediately before more innocent people are hurt on your watch.

US Representative Mark Green (01:24:35):

Gentleman's time has expired. I now recognize-

Miss Greene (01:24:37):

Mr. Chairman? Sorry.

US Representative Mark Green (01:24:39):

Miss Greene.

Miss Greene (01:24:39):

I ask unanimous consent to enter for the record. One of our colleagues had asked if there was evidence if the so-called Maryland man Kilmar Abrego Garcia was MS-13. According to the attorney general of the United States, she posted that the evidence shows Kilmar Abrego Garcia has repeatedly been identified as a member of MS-13 by a Maryland county police gang unit, which I introduced for the record a reliable confidential informant. ICE officers and immigration judge agreed and an appellate board agreed. [inaudible 01:25:15].

US Representative Mark Green (01:25:14):

Without objection-

Mr. Goldman (01:25:15):

So you have … Sorry, is that a court order?

Miss Greene (01:25:18):

Thank you, [inaudible 01:25:19].

US Representative Mark Green (01:25:19):

Without objection-

Miss Greene (01:25:19):

Well, I object. Is that-

US Representative Mark Green (01:25:19):

She can put anything she wants in the record. She's not complying to your request, Mr. Goldman.

Mr. Goldman (01:25:23):

[inaudible 01:25:25].

US Representative Mark Green (01:25:25):

She asked for unanimous consent. Okay, so you're objecting to her putting that into the record?

Mr. Goldman (01:25:30):

I am objecting subject to a clarification. Is that a court order that establishes that he's a member of MS-13?

Miss Greene (01:25:37):

An immigration judge agreed that he was MS-13-

Mr. Goldman (01:25:41):

For bail purposes.

US Representative Mark Green (01:25:45):

Hold on. Yeah, we're not-

Miss Greene (01:25:45):

An appellate board agreed.

Mr. Goldman (01:25:45):

Don't misrepresent [inaudible 01:25:46].

US Representative Mark Green (01:25:45):

Hold on. We're not-

Miss Greene (01:25:46):

[inaudible 01:25:46] a judge.

US Representative Mark Green (01:25:48):

Everybody pause. We're going to let one person talk at a time. You ask a question. Answer the question, please.

Miss Greene (01:25:55):

According to the attorney general of the United States, she informed the country that an immigration judge agreed that your Maryland man Kilmar Abrego Garcia is MS-13. An appellate board agreed. ICE officers agreed.

Mr. Goldman (01:26:10):

You are misstating what the immigration-

Miss Greene (01:26:12):

A reliable informant-

US Representative Mark Green (01:26:13):

[inaudible 01:26:13] interrupt. Mr. Goldman, the clock is not yours right now. She has the floor. Please continue answering the question.

Miss Greene (01:26:20):

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. A Maryland county police-

Mr. Goldman (01:26:23):

She's not answering the question, sir.

US Representative Mark Green (01:26:24):

No. She's going to answer the question, and then you can object to her answer.

Mr. Goldman (01:26:29):

Can you make sure that she answers the question?

US Representative Mark Green (01:26:31):

You just said … Please finish your answer.

Miss Greene (01:26:34):

A Maryland county police gang unit agreed that he's MS-13. A reliable confidential informant agreed that he's MS-13. ICE officers agreed that he's MS-13. An immigration judge agreed that he's MS-13. An appellate board agreed that Kilmar Abrego Garcia, your Maryland man, is MS-13.

US Representative Mark Green (01:27:00):

Okay.

Mr. Goldman (01:27:01):

I object-

US Representative Mark Green (01:27:01):

You got the floor. What do you want to say?

Mr. Goldman (01:27:03):

I object because she is misstating the record and the facts. That is not accurate and, therefore, I object to that being introduced.

US Representative Mark Green (01:27:12):

There is no-

Miss Greene (01:27:12):

Mr. Chairman-

Mr. Goldman (01:27:13):

Sir, can I explain? You let her go on.

US Representative Mark Green (01:27:15):

Yeah. Go ahead.

Mr. Goldman (01:27:16):

There is no final court order establishing that he's a member. Maybe he is, so you should put all that evidence before a judge. If he is MS-13 he should be deported. That's what we're talking about. But you're misstating what all of that evidence is.

US Representative Mark Green (01:27:34):

No, I think … I'm going to make a point here. You basically just read what the attorney general said, correct?

Miss Greene (01:27:38):

Yes, sir.

US Representative Mark Green (01:27:39):

You didn't assert that this was a court order, did you? Did you assert that this was a court order?

Miss Greene (01:27:43):

I read the attorney general of the United States-

US Representative Mark Green (01:27:47):

And you have a right on our committee to submit for unanimous consent or a vote if we want to put it to a vote. This for the record, correct? Is that-

Miss Greene (01:27:56):

Yes.

US Representative Mark Green (01:27:56):

That is correct. Okay. She has the right-

Mr. Goldman (01:27:58):

Mr. Chairman, can I review? Can I review what she has said?

US Representative Mark Green (01:28:02):

No. She can submit something to this committee.

Mr. Goldman (01:28:04):

But it matters that she … She just said she represented exactly what the attorney general said. She has a document there.

US Representative Mark Green (01:28:10):

Lets make a copy-

Mr. Goldman (01:28:10):

I would like to see that document-

US Representative Mark Green (01:28:12):

Let's make a copy for everybody-

Mr. Goldman (01:28:13):

… [inaudible 01:28:14] representation.

US Representative Mark Green (01:28:14):

… and we'll vote on … I'm going to … Hold on. Hold on just a second. We're going to hold … We're-

Speaker 2 (01:28:18):

[inaudible 01:28:18] vote. Let's vote. Let's vote.

US Representative Mark Green (01:28:21):

You're calling for the question?

Speaker 2 (01:28:21):

[inaudible 01:28:23].

US Representative Mark Green (01:28:22):

We're calling for the question.

Speaker 3 (01:28:23):

[inaudible 01:28:24] the question.

US Representative Mark Green (01:28:24):

The clerk, we're going to need to set … Hold on just a second. A brief reset.

Speaker 2 (01:28:28):

Please, let's get this [inaudible 01:28:35].

Speaker 4 (01:28:33):

[inaudible 01:28:34] right now.

Speaker 5 (01:28:33):

I know.

Speaker 6 (01:28:35):

This is great. [inaudible 01:28:37].

US Representative Mark Green (01:28:40):

All right. There's [inaudible 01:28:41]-

Mr. Goldman (01:28:41):

Mr. Higgins, I'm just asking-

US Representative Mark Green (01:28:41):

Hold on.

Mr. Goldman (01:28:42):

… to see the document.

US Representative Mark Green (01:28:43):

I have the floor.

Speaker X (01:28:44):

[inaudible 01:28:45].

US Representative Mark Green (01:28:44):

All right. So we have a motion to vote on the submission of this for the record. That's all that has been stated and-

Mr. Goldman (01:28:55):

I have a parliamentary inquiry, sir.

US Representative Mark Green (01:28:57):

Do not interrupt me again. We are on the vote on whether or not this can be entered into the record. A motion has been made and we will vote on that motion. All of those in favor-

Mr. Goldman (01:29:12):

I have a parliamentary inquiry before we vote, sir.

US Representative Mark Green (01:29:15):

Mr. Ranking Member?

Speaker 7 (01:29:17):

Mister, it's our request that we object. And in the middle of the objection, you consider a motion, which-

US Representative Mark Green (01:29:29):

He was done talking about [inaudible 01:29:31]-

Speaker 7 (01:29:30):

No, he wasn't. No, he wasn't. You stopped him from talking.

Mr. Goldman (01:29:33):

I just have a parliamentary inquiry.

US Representative Mark Green (01:29:36):

A parliamentary inquiry. Okay, go ahead. You have the floor.

Mr. Goldman (01:29:41):

Is it the procedure of this committee that someone who is making an objection to the admission of evidence cannot review that evidence before we vote on it?

Speaker 3 (01:29:51):

[inaudible 01:29:53].

US Representative Mark Green (01:29:56):

The content is irrelevant to the motion, and the motion has been made to vote on the submission for the record.

Mr. Goldman (01:30:05):

The content is irrelevant? I mean that's what I'm objecting to. If she is accurate in what her representation is, I will withdraw my objection. I just need to see the document.

US Representative Mark Green (01:30:15):

Somebody walk the thing over there and let him read it. I mean get to the bottom of this quickly. We'll hold on your vote, Mr. Ogles.

Speaker 3 (01:30:23):

[inaudible 01:30:28].

Mr. Goldman (01:30:50):

Mr. Chairman, given that this is a tweet from the attorney general that is effectively, I believe, consistent with what Miss Taylor Greene says, I withdraw my objection.

US Representative Mark Green (01:31:02):

Gentlemen withdraws his objection. I now recognize … Who's up? Mr. Jimenez for his five minutes of questioning.

Mr. Jimenez (01:31:11):

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Madam Secretary, for the fine work that you've done. I also want to thank you for approving the members on this side of the aisle, myself included, in our assertion through the last four years that what happened at the southern border was done willfully and purposely by the Biden administration, because nobody could be that dumb. Do you share that opinion?

Kristi Noem (01:31:40):

Sir, I believe it was a decision made by the previous president to not enforce our laws and to allow an invasion of our country,

Mr. Jimenez (01:31:47):

So all the claims by the other side of the aisle that we needed more money for the Biden administration, that we need more people, et cetera, do you believe that was accurate or do you believe that was inaccurate?

Kristi Noem (01:31:56):

No, sir. That was not true.

Mr. Jimenez (01:31:57):

Absolutely, because the numbers speak for themselves.

Kristi Noem (01:32:00):

That's true.

Mr. Jimenez (01:32:01):

Simply by enforcing our laws and having the will to enforce our laws, we've seen a dramatic fall in the number of crossings. And so, I want to thank you for that.

(01:32:09)
Now I want to switch over to FEMA. I used to be the mayor of Miami-Dade County. I used to represent, and really it was my job to protect 2.8 million people in one of the most hurricane-prone areas of the United States. I was also a city manager of the city and I was a fire chief of the City of Miami. At the time, I was also on a FEMA advisory panel, and I can tell you that FEMA needs many, many reforms.

(01:32:33)
I remember as mayor of Miami-Dade County in 2015, we were still processing claims through FEMA for Hurricane Katrina, which happened 10 years earlier. And so, while I do support the efforts to reform FEMA, there are certain states and cities and counties that actually can respond a heck of a lot better than others, and we can't leave those that can't fend for themselves to fend for themselves. And so, I would hope that that's part of your review and the reform of FEMA. Is that what you plan to do?

Kristi Noem (01:33:06):

Yes, sir. We know that every single state is not prepared today to take over their emergency operations. That's why the president has been clear that he wants to empower states and give them the opportunity to build out their response, to also sign MOUs with surrounding states and other resources they can use to best serve their people. He just doesn't believe that FEMA has been successful in being there in a time of crisis for people. We've got years-

Mr. Jimenez (01:33:29):

I can tell you, ma'am, as mayor of Miami-Dade County, that they haven't-

Kristi Noem (01:33:32):

Yeah.

Mr. Jimenez (01:33:33):

… and that I never ever … When I talked to my people, I said, "Hey, we're going to have to do this ourselves. There is no cavalry coming from the federal government. We have to take care of ourselves." All we need from the federal government really is the money to reimburse us, and you're not even good at doing that.

Kristi Noem (01:33:48):

That's true.

Mr. Jimenez (01:33:48):

And so, hopefully you can speed that process up. There are some people in my community that are a little bit concerned about the TPS rules and the suspension of TPS. I would request that you can meet with myself, Representative Mario Diaz-Balart, and Maria Salazar, so maybe we can do a little nuance to this so that we can put those concerns at rest.

(01:34:11)
I also sent a letter to you concerning a hundred Cuban oppressors. They're actually living in the United States. They were granted either asylum or entry into the United States that should have never been here, and we need to deport those. Have you received that letter, or what's your department doing about looking into and vetting those hundred names that I gave you?

Kristi Noem (01:34:33):

Yes, sir. I received your letter and read it this week, and we'll be responding to you. That is something that President Trump is focused on is adding integrity back to the programs that we have, our immigration programs, our services like TPS, like the visa waiver program, our parole, our asylum programs. A lot of those got perverted and changed and misused and abused during the last administration, and adding integrity back to them is incredibly important for this administration. TPS was always meant to be a temporary program-

Mr. Jimenez (01:35:04):

I agree.

Kristi Noem (01:35:05):

… built on giving people an opportunity to be safe from violence or environmental crisis that may be happening in their home country. Those individuals were working with them and will have a chance to meet with you and the other congressmen to address their needs and see what their options are.

(01:35:19)
They do have 60 days from the time it is published, those individuals that you spoke to me about that still has not been published in the Federal Register. So they have several months here that we can work on the solutions to make sure that they're in a program that's appropriate for their situation.

Mr. Jimenez (01:35:34):

Fair enough, ma'am. I appreciate that and I hope we can have that meeting soon. Finally, I'm going to give you another example of when I was mayor of Miami-Dade County. There was then Senator Kamala Harris and a lot of other Democrats were demonstrating outside a homestead facility that was meant for children, saying how bad the conditions were, et cetera, et cetera.

(01:35:52)
Well, as mayor of Miami-Dade County, I asked to actually go in there. I viewed it. I went in there. Since I speak Spanish, I actually spoke to the children. They're all being treated great. There was

Mr. Jimenez (01:36:00):

There's nothing happening there that would make me ashamed to be an American. And so what was great about that, it was that we were actually taking care of those children unlike what happened under the Biden administration where we lost about 300,000 of them. With that, I yield back. Thank you.

Speaker 8 (01:36:14):

Gentleman yields. I now recognize Mr. Goldman for five minutes of questioning.

Mr. Goldman (01:36:18):

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to go back to Mr. Kilmar Abrego Garcia's case, Madam Secretary, but my first question for you is a pretty simple one. It's basic civics. Which branch of government does the Constitution give the authority to interpret what the law is? The judiciary or the executive branch?

Kristi Noem (01:36:41):

Sir, going forward, the interpretation of the law, you make the laws in this body. The judicial branch makes sure that they have integrity and they're applied properly to individuals.

Mr. Goldman (01:36:53):

Okay. So I'm just going to take that as the judiciary branch. Now let's focus for a second on what the judiciary branch has said about this case. We know the Supreme Court has said nine to nothing, that notwithstanding your statements under oath here today that Mr. Kilmar Abrego Garcia was afforded due process.

(01:37:15)
He was, in fact, not afforded due process because then if he were, you would've seen the withholding order that did not permit him to be deported to El Salvador. Now, you allege and I guess the Attorney General alleges that he's a member of MS-13. That very well may be the case. And if he is, now that that is a foreign terrorist organization, certainly the immigration laws would allow him and in fact require him to be deported. I certainly would support that.

(01:37:53)
But the problem that we have here is what you allege, what Ms. Greene alleges, what the Attorney General alleges is not the judiciary. You don't get to decide whether or not he is an MS-13 member. And you don't have to take my word for it because Judge Wilkinson, a Fourth Circuit judge, very conservative, addressed this argument.

(01:38:19)
He said, "The government asserts that Abrego Garcia is a terrorist and a member of MS-13 perhaps, but perhaps not. Regardless, he is still entitled to due process. If the government is confident in its position, it should be assured that position will prevail in proceedings to terminate the withholding of removal order."

(01:38:43)
Will you commit right now to give Mr. Abrego Garcia that process where you can prove your allegation that he is a member of MS-13?

Kristi Noem (01:38:54):

Congressman, that judge that you just quoted did not say he was not a member of MS-13. Who did say that he was a member of MS-13 was law enforcement officers that encountered this individual.

Mr. Goldman (01:39:05):

Yeah, he knows that.

Kristi Noem (01:39:05):

We had a judgment-

Mr. Goldman (01:39:06):

This is a Fourth Circuit judge. He knows all of what the evidence is and he's saying if that evidence-

Kristi Noem (01:39:10):

… a case was built against-

Mr. Goldman (01:39:10):

So you're not going to commit to-

Kristi Noem (01:39:12):

… before he was deported-

Mr. Goldman (01:39:12):

… follow this order? You won't commit to follow this court order?

Kristi Noem (01:39:15):

… that said he was MS-13 by the way he identified himself.

Mr. Goldman (01:39:16):

Madam Secretary, I reclaim my time. Stop filibustering.

Kristi Noem (01:39:19):

He was surrounded.

Mr. Goldman (01:39:19):

Stop filibustering.

Kristi Noem (01:39:23):

He was surrounded by gang members of MS-13.

Mr. Goldman (01:39:23):

Will you give Mr. Abrego Garcia the due process that the Supreme Court and Judge Wilkinson has required you to give him?

Kristi Noem (01:39:32):

Abrego Garcia is an El Salvador resident who is in his home country. If he were to come back to this country, he would be immediately removed again.

Mr. Goldman (01:39:39):

How do you know?

Kristi Noem (01:39:40):

He has received and been treated appropriately and he is not [inaudible 01:39:45]

Mr. Goldman (01:39:44):

How can you say he's been treated appropriately if the Supreme Court has ruled nine-nothing that he hasn't been treated appropriately? Why is your opinion better and have more authority than the Supreme Court?

Kristi Noem (01:39:59):

We had investigators, two judges in Immigration Court that all said he was MS-13 and was removed from this country.

Mr. Goldman (01:40:06):

But you understand that is you saying that. That is you saying that.

Kristi Noem (01:40:10):

That is them saying that.

Mr. Goldman (01:40:11):

No, no, no, no.

Kristi Noem (01:40:11):

This is investigators and law enforcement officers.

Mr. Goldman (01:40:14):

That is you making that determination.

Kristi Noem (01:40:16):

In a case they built against him. If you don't trust our law enforcement officers-

Mr. Goldman (01:40:17):

The court has considered all that. The judge has considered all that, Madam Secretary. And if you would be quiet because I'm reclaiming my time, you are not following this court order. But let's focus on the court order because this opinion also says that to facilitate, which the Supreme Court is requiring, is an active verb. It requires that steps be taken. What steps have you taken to return Mr. Abrego Garcia to allow him to get due process?

Kristi Noem (01:40:49):

Abrego Garcia is in his home country.

Mr. Goldman (01:40:51):

What steps have you taken?

Kristi Noem (01:40:54):

If your continued advocacy for him were to-

Mr. Goldman (01:40:56):

I'm not advocating for him. I'm advocating for a court order, Madam Secretary.

Kristi Noem (01:41:00):

Absolutely. [inaudible 01:41:01] for this man.

Mr. Goldman (01:41:01):

The court order says that you must take steps to follow the court order. You are here under oath. What steps have you taken to return Mr. Abrego Garcia, pursuant to this court order?

Kristi Noem (01:41:15):

It's got to be extremely discouraging to be one of your constituents. To see you fight for a terrorist like this and not fight for them is extremely alarming to me.

Mr. Goldman (01:41:25):

I'm fighting for due process. And that's under the constitution. And you should fight too for due process.

Speaker 8 (01:41:30):

The gentleman's time has expired. The gentleman's time has expired. I now recognize Ms. Greene for five minutes of questioning.

Miss Greene (01:41:35):

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Democrats have spent the last four years terrorizing Americans with their open border policies. They flooded our communities with over 13 million illegals from over 170 countries and territories who invaded our borders, raped our women and children, and murdered our own people. It's shocking hear them to continue to defend cartels, MS-13, and terrorists today.

(01:42:04)
Democrats claimed over and over again that legislation was needed to fix the problems, the problems that they created. Yet to this day, no new border legislation has been enacted and border crossings are down 93%. It was just reported that according to CBP, only five aliens were temporarily released into the United States in all of April. Only five.

(01:42:29)
This is compared to the 68,000 released in April of 2024 under the Biden administration. Thank you, Secretary Noem for your great work and your leadership. This is truly saving America. There's nothing Democrats love more than defending the cartels, the criminals and the rapists. And now we finally have a president in the White House and an administration that defends the American people.

(01:42:57)
As you're aware, Secretary Noem, CISA previously developed a censorship laundering scheme through its counter mis, dis, and malinformation, MDM, efforts that suppressed conservative opinions and went after President Trump's supporters. Members of Congress, senators, including myself, were permanently banned. I was permanently banned on Twitter under this.

(01:43:21)
What started as an election interference campaign eventually developed into censoring issues well beyond the election and COVID and climate change. Through their NGO partnerships, tickets were created on post they thought were misinformation and subsequently sent to social media platforms with recommendations for them to be censored.

(01:43:46)
Would you please provide an update on your efforts to investigate the severity of MDM efforts during the Biden regime and what steps are you taking to ensure CISA will never again serve as the United States Government's Ministry of Truth?

Kristi Noem (01:44:04):

Thank you, Congressman. The CISA definitely was so far off mission that they forgot what their purpose clearly was. CISA was created to hunt down bad actors and to harden our systems, to support local infrastructure, critical infrastructure that makes this country run and those small and medium, medium-sized businesses that don't have the resources to make sure that their software programs, their technology was secure from hackers and from bad actors around the world.

(01:44:35)
Instead, what they were doing by out there deciding what was truth, what wasn't truth, censoring what people could say was not their mission whatsoever. And so we have stopped those activities. We have refocused our resources back onto the cyber security mission and ensured that CISA is cooperating with our local and state individuals and businesses to make sure that we're truly being proactive at not just hardening our systems but stopping the attacks that we have from countries that hate us.

(01:45:01)
So the Ministry of Truth, as what CISA was operating before, was wrongful actions that were taken by employees of the last administration to go after political targets to manipulate the information that Americans were receiving and that has stopped.

(01:45:22)
We have fallen far behind in what we've been able to do as far as cooperating with other intelligence agencies and with those at the state level to make sure that we're being proactive, and that's one thing that we have focused extremely hard on in the last several months, is ensuring that those relationships are built back up.

(01:45:38)
That we're partnering with private businesses to get the support that we need to make sure that we are hardening America's systems because we're vulnerable to our weakest link. And oftentimes, our weakest link is that small business or individual that ties into our largest systems.

Miss Greene (01:45:55):

Yes, thank you. No American should be censored by their government for their political beliefs and their statements.

Kristi Noem (01:46:01):

Absolutely.

Miss Greene (01:46:01):

Thank you for that. Also, the Trump administration has committed to reuniting unaccompanied alien children lost or trafficked under the Biden-Harris administration back to their families and guardians. What efforts is DHS taking to ensure that these vulnerable children are safely reunited with their loved ones? Because the Biden administration lost hundreds of thousands of children.

Kristi Noem (01:46:26):

Yes, absolutely. We know that there was upwards to over 300,000 children that were lost during the last administration, so President Trump has made it a priority of every cabinet secretary and agency to make sure those children are located, that they're returned to safety.

(01:46:43)
As you know, the refugee program and sponsors were greatly abused under the previous administration and the Department of HHS is bringing some integrity back to that program and making sure that these children are cared for appropriately and that someone is watching over them that truly has their best interests at heart, that really truly cares for them is a family member.

(01:47:05)
I would say over 5,000 have been found and our HSI individuals and law enforcement officers are continuing to identify them.

Speaker 8 (01:47:12):

General lady's time has expired. I now recognize Ms. Ramirez for five minutes of questioning.

Ms. Ramirez (01:47:17):

Thank you, Chairman. Secretary, it's good to see you. I'm going to go straight to the questions because I have a lot of them. Let me start just following up with Congressman Goldman about judiciary. Do you agree that the judiciary is a co-equal branch of government and is your obligation as a member of the executive branch to honor decisions made by the highest court of the land? Yes or no, Secretary?

Kristi Noem (01:47:41):

We are abiding by all federal judges' orders. Absolutely.

Ms. Ramirez (01:47:45):

So yes, it's a co-equal branch of government. Okay, well, let me ask you a follow-up question to that. Do you agree that Congress is a co-equal branch of government and it is your obligation as a member of the executive branch to honor legislation and appropriations duly authorized by Congress? Yes or no?

Kristi Noem (01:48:02):

Yes. That's why I'm thrilled to work for [inaudible 01:48:04]

Ms. Ramirez (01:48:03):

Okay. Well, let me ask you the follow-up question here 'cause I have a lot of them. Do you agree that Article 1 of the Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse? Yes or no?

Kristi Noem (01:48:11):

Yes. That is it a duty [inaudible 01:48:14]

Ms. Ramirez (01:48:13):

Let me ask you another follow up. It's just yes or no. Do you believe you have the power to disregard congressional appropriations and unilaterally repurpose funds that have been duly appropriated by Congress? Yes or no?

Kristi Noem (01:48:25):

Ma'am, we are not doing that. We are using [inaudible 01:48:28]

Ms. Ramirez (01:48:27):

So the answer to you is no. All right. Well, let me… It was a yes or no, Secretary. Let me continue. Interestingly, you said no. But since you've been secretary, you have repeatedly disregarded the law. You have illegally impounded funds that Congress appropriated and that your branch of government must implement pursuant to the law.

(01:48:48)
Yet you, you've closed offices established in law, including the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, the Office of the Immigration Detention and Ombudsman, the office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services, and you've canceled contracts for programs authorized in law, including shelter and service programs and citizenship and integration grants.

(01:49:11)
You, you've obstructed and roughed up members of this committee as they attempted to conduct congressional oversight and then you vilified them. But my question is, if they were so bad, why were they allowed to go in after to conduct oversight? Let me just continue. You redirected funds to terrorize our communities.

(01:49:28)
You created taxpayer- funded political propaganda campaigns to terrorize families and children who don't sleep at night because of the terror of those commercials that you are putting out there. You hold sick, disrespectful press conferences in my state where, let me be clear, you are not welcome.

(01:49:50)
You corruptly used emergency authority to avoid procurement to make Trump's private prison donors richer by directing $45 billion for them to expand ICE detention centers. You defunded work to address real threats to the homeland all while you pursued college newspaper editors, labor leaders, and even a Harvard scientist who failed to declare fraud embryos at the airport.

(01:50:17)
Clearly we don't have time for all my questions, so I have 13 pages worth of questions that I'll be submitting to the record that I expect you and the administration to answer. But here is my final question to you. When you took your oath, did you swear to support and defend the constitution of the United States of America? Yes or no?

Kristi Noem (01:50:38):

Yes I did.

Ms. Ramirez (01:50:39):

So I find that laughable. You don't behave like someone who takes that oath seriously, and let me tell you why. We don't live in a dictatorship or a monarchy. Trump's will is not the guiding doctrine of this nation and our country is not a playground for his or your twisted authoritarian fantasies. We are a democracy. We defend the Constitution and we affirm the rule of law.

(01:51:04)
We respect the co-equal branches of government and we uphold our rights even when we disagree. The foundation of our nation is based on a core set of constitutional rights upon which our prosperity, our pluralism, and our peace depend on it. You, however, have been leading this work for 116 days, and in that time, you have profiled and dehumanized our neighbors.

(01:51:29)
You've betrayed our constitutional commitment to due process. You've deported United States citizens, you've undermined the courts, you've broken the law, you've engaged in corruption, and you've weaponized the immigration system to violate civil rights. As Senator Murphy perfectly stated, your department is out of control but you, you're responsible.

(01:51:55)
You have betrayed the sacred fundamentals of your oath and I believe to my core that you are not fit to hold the office and I again, to your face, demand your immediate resignation and I put it and place it on the record for all of us to see. With that, Chairman, I yield back.

Speaker 8 (01:52:18):

General yields. Mr. Garbarino is recognized.

Mr. Garbarino (01:52:21):

Thank you, Chairman. Madam Secretary, thank you so much for being here today. I'm the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection, so I work with CISA a lot. I have a few quick questions for you. Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 provides the modern basis for information sharing between the private sector and the fellow government.

(01:52:40)
My subcommittee tomorrow will be having a hearing on the renewal of CISA 2015 since it expires in September. I'm just wondering, do you support the reauthorization of CISA 2015 ahead of its expiration?

Kristi Noem (01:52:52):

Yes, I do, sir. It's an incredibly important piece of legislation.

Mr. Garbarino (01:52:55):

Wonderful, thank you very much. Another hearing that we had this year, we dealt with the proposed CIRCIA rulemaking process, and it started under the Biden administration. We heard from industry they were not happy the way it went. I'm not happy with the way it went, I'm sure a lot of people aren't happy the way it went and I still remain concerned that the scope of the proposed rules have strayed from congressional's intent.

(01:53:22)
One of the things that came up at our hearing was whether or not CISA would consider to provide an ex parte process so we could get more comments from industry and hopefully get this back on track instead of starting over from scratch because it has to be done. Is that something that the department would consider?

Kristi Noem (01:53:39):

Yes, we would support that, sir. I think that more input from the private sector is important to make sure we're doing the appropriate actions.

Mr. Garbarino (01:53:45):

Information sharing and making sure that people are actually responding to incidents instead of talking to their attorneys I think is very, very important and we want to make sure that this is the response rule, not just one of many other rules that are out there. I sent a letter back on February the ninth regarding workforce reductions. It was about CISA staff that was fired and their responsibilities and titles.

(01:54:15)
I've not yet received a response. And given the growing cybersecurity threat landscape and the administration's stated interest, which they have in addressing these threats, I'm concerned that reducing CISA's staff will not help CISA accomplish the mission of protecting cybersecurity, providing cybersecurity to the people that need it or helping.

(01:54:41)
The letter asked for the number of staff, the responsibilities of those staff, and the impacts on CISA's ability to fulfill its mission. I know you can't provide that answer now, but can I get a commitment to get that response to that letter sometime soon?

Kristi Noem (01:54:56):

Absolutely.

Mr. Garbarino (01:54:57):

I appreciate that as well. And I know we're here about the budget, so I do want to ask some questions. In the administration's skinny budget request, it's seeking a $491 million reduction for CISA. I'm all on board with getting rid of disinformation and misinformation and I was supportive of that cut, but that was in fiscal year 2023. That was only 20 million. Only 20 million of its budget went.

(01:55:25)
So getting rid of that, that still leaves about 471 million of cuts, which is about a 17% cut to its total budget. Why such a large cut? And in addition to that, there was also, I believe, a program request moving $130 million around. What programs are going to be affected with that request?

Kristi Noem (01:55:54):

Well, Congressman, the focus within CISA needs to be on ensuring that it's fulfilling why it was created. It was created to support critical infrastructure and to make sure that we're out there addressing the cybersecurity concerns that we have.

(01:56:08)
The reductions that you see are in the areas where it got off mission, where it was involved in mis, dis, and malinformation and also the censorship activities. That's where the reflection is. But the cybersecurity side of CISA is strengthened and emboldened under President Trump's leadership and will be into the future and making sure that we're giving them the tools that they need to create new partnerships. Those plans to partner with private industries will make us much more efficient and accountable to taxpayers while making sure that we actually have answers to some of the threats that we have in front of us. That's the thing that has alarmed me the most about CISA, is the lack of information that they have, the lack of solutions that they have and how they protect our critical infrastructure.

(01:56:52)
And when you look at Volt Typhoon, it wasn't just that we're vulnerable, it's that the Chinese have proven, PRC has proven with bad actors that they can shut down our water plants, our electrical grid, that they have the ability to do that. And if we think something in the past like a pandemic or a crisis like that was scary, wait until people's electricity is gone or their water system shuts down. And so that is one of the reasons why CISA needs to be laser focused on truly what its mission is.

Mr. Garbarino (01:57:22):

Yeah, I appreciate that and I'm out of time, but I also just want to say I hope we can work together on this and I'm very excited for Mr. Plank's nomination. I think he's going to do a great job and hopefully they can confirm him sometime soon. But I'd like to talk to you more about the budget when we have chance. Thank you.

Speaker 8 (01:57:36):

Gentleman's time has he expired. I'd like to recognize-

Miss Greene (01:57:37):

Mr. Chairman, I'd like to ask unanimous consent to enter further record and article from the Oversight Project that quotes the Supreme Court case Gojack versus the United States that talks about Congress's power of oversight, stating that, "No committee of either the House or Senate and no senator and no representative is free on its or his or her own to conduct investigations unless authorized." And that was a Supreme Court case. I'd also ask you-

Speaker 8 (01:58:11):

Without objections to the order.

Miss Greene (01:58:13):

Thank you. I also asked unanimous consent to enter for the record that the ICE facility that Democrats and one of our own members here stormed according to the Secretary, Assistant Secretary of Homeland, categorize these detainees and ICE as murderers, terrorists, child rapists and MS-13 gang members.

Speaker 8 (01:58:35):

Without objection.

Miss Greene (01:58:36):

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Goldman (01:58:37):

Mr. Chairman, I have a unanimous-

Speaker 8 (01:58:38):

Mr. Goldman's recognized.

Mr. Goldman (01:58:40):

I would like to introduce an article just published by Bloomberg Government in which the acting director of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement acknowledges that any member of Congress has the right to show up at any detention facility with or without appointments and that he will follow that law.

Speaker 8 (01:59:02):

Without objection to the order.

Mr. Goldman (01:59:03):

Thank you.

Rep. Garcia (01:59:03):

Mr. Chairman, I have unanimous consent also.

Speaker 8 (01:59:08):

Gentleman's recognized.

Rep. Garcia (01:59:09):

Thank you. I just want to also enter for the record Section 527A of the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2024 that it says explicitly, "The members of Congress have the right to access ICE detention facilities with no prior notice at any time.

Speaker 8 (01:59:26):

Without objection to the order.

Rep. Garcia (01:59:27):

Thank you.

Speaker 8 (01:59:29):

Ms. McIver is recognized.

Ms. McIver (01:59:32):

Thank you, Mr. Chairman and ranking member. A lot has been said and I expect a lot more will be said about the department's interaction with members of this body when it comes to oversight, but this is not about me. Madam Secretary, it's not every day we have a Cabinet member before this committee.

(01:59:52)
As you know, the members of this committee have constitutional oversight responsibility for your department, and there are many things regarding this administration's Homeland Security policies that require our immediate attention. That is the work I am here to do today and every day.

(02:00:10)
Secretary, this committee and the American people deserve answers for the actions of the Department of Homeland Security under this administration and the policies that have been put into place. The department has overseen a regime of cruelty, chaos, and deep disregard for human dignity all under the pretense of security. The department is being mismanaged and its policies undermine our nation's values.

(02:00:36)
This does not make us safer. The exact opposite exactly. Secretary, we need answers about your department's union busting at TSA, deporting US citizens, terminating the legal status of international students for no apparent reason and disregarding the rule of law. None of these issues at your department exist in the vacuum. In fact, they are all fundamentally connected to the administration's overarching cruelty.

(02:01:08)
We want to hear from you because we are hoping you can make it make sense for us because with all due respect, we are all trying to understand why in the world this has taking place. In my district and around this nation, countless international students had their visas revoked without due process, without warning, and without any regard for how this would devastate their lives.

(02:01:33)
These are students who came here to learn, to build their futures, and join our workforce only to have the rug pulled out from under them by this department's actions. How can we expect international students to trust our institutions and contribute to our economy when we treat them like they've done something wrong just because they are here? Are we no longer the home of the American dream?

(02:01:59)
I also want you to understand DHS's impact on our entire workforce. I proudly represent over 1,000 dedicated TSA workers who had the right to unionize, but that right has been stripped away by your department. This is an attack on the people who safeguard our skies and whose dedication we rely on now more than ever.

(02:02:22)
And the destruction doesn't stop there. I represent communities that live in constant fear each and every day. Families too terrified to step outside and send their kids to school, go grocery shopping, or take a trip to the doctor because of the harassment of ICE and Homeland security. This isn't public safety. It's state-sponsored fear.

(02:02:44)
I understand that this administration believes that it is its business to scare people into submission and act alone with no regard for the law to decide who is worthy to live in this country or not. However, it is this committee's business to make sure your department is held accountable and to get the American people the answers they've been looking for.

(02:03:09)
So with that Madam Secretary, I have a few yes or no questions. Do you agree that revoking student visas without notice can cause fear and confusion among international students? Yes or no?

Kristi Noem (02:03:21):

Congressman, I do not-

Ms. McIver (02:03:23):

Congresswoman, but yes or no.

Kristi Noem (02:03:25):

Congresswoman, I do not decide legal status or visa programs for [inaudible 02:03:30]. The Department of State does.

Ms. McIver (02:03:30):

I'll take that as a yes. Do you support restoring full collective bargaining rights for TSA employees? Yes or no?

Kristi Noem (02:03:37):

Ma'am, currently today, TSA does not have the ability to unionize.

Ms. McIver (02:03:40):

Yes or no. Okay, take that as a no. Do you believe that TSA workers should make a livable wage? Yes or no?

Kristi Noem (02:03:47):

Yes. TSA workers are critically important to our security systems [inaudible 02:03:50]-

Ms. McIver (02:03:49):

Thank you for that. Are you aware that recent student visa revocations occur without due process or proper notification?

Kristi Noem (02:03:58):

Ma'am, I don't make a determination of status.

Ms. McIver (02:04:00):

Yes or no?

Kristi Noem (02:04:01):

The Department of State does that.

Ms. McIver (02:04:03):

I'm guessing you don't know. Okay. Do you believe that TSA workers have the right to better workplace conditions?

Kristi Noem (02:04:08):

Yes, absolutely. TSA workers are incredibly important to-

Ms. McIver (02:04:09):

Okay, great. Thank you for that. Do you believe that students should have an opportunity to appeal before their visas are revoked? Yes or no?

Kristi Noem (02:04:17):

All processes are followed and that are set out as tools-

Ms. McIver (02:04:20):

I'm guessing it's a no. Okay. One more last question in nine seconds. Do you believe that revoking collective bargaining rights for TSA workers affects their morale and job performance? Yes or no?

Kristi Noem (02:04:31):

I believe TSA is critically important [inaudible 02:04:33]

Ms. McIver (02:04:33):

Okay. I'll take that as a maybe you don't know. Maybe it's yes or no.

Kristi Noem (02:04:36):

General lady's time is expired. I now recognize Mr. Gonzalez for five minutes of his questioning.

US Representative Michael McCaul (02:04:41):

Thank you, Chairman, and thank you, Madam Secretary for doing a wonderful job and it's been a breath of fresh air. A lot of people like to talk about the border. I represent a large part of the border, the places that are on TV or the places that you have visited, the places that I've represent like Del Rio, like Eagle Pass, like El Paso, other places, and y'all have done a fantastic job.

(02:05:01)
I want to start with VORTAC. When we talk about, how do we go out and apprehend these hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of convicted criminal illegal aliens that are a threat to all our communities? VORTAC is always the answer. I recently met with them. They're based out of Fort Bliss. They're in El Paso. They're always the ones that go out and are doing the heavy lifting.

(02:05:25)
I'd love to put this on your radar. I know you're making a lot of budgetary decisions and the administration is. That facility is way, way outdated. For the work that they do, they need a new facility. And I know it's on Fort Bliss. If there's a way that we can work either through this committee or through the Appropriations Committee to find a way to give them just the proper headquarters that they need, I think this would be very critical in going out there. I'd love to hear your thoughts on VORTEC.

Kristi Noem (02:05:55):

I spent some time with them as well down at Fort Bliss and they do incredible work and they don't just operate within their own agency, but also partner with other law enforcement agencies and meet needs around the country at a moment's notice. So their skillset is unique, their specialty training is needed, and in fact, it needs to be expanded.

(02:06:16)
We could use more teams like they have and give them more opportunities to continue to serve because the skillset they bring to the table keeps people safer and helps us meet the challenges with what we need to protect our officers out in the field and to make sure citizens are protected as well. So we'll certainly look at their facilities and see what we can do to strengthen the resources that they have.

US Representative Michael McCaul (02:06:37):

Thank you for that. They're just doing incredible work. Once again, every time there's a problem solved, VORTEC has a role to play, whether it's on the intelligence piece to it, helping with some of these task forces, or actually going out and apprehending folks. On that note, Uvalde is in my district.

(02:06:55)
A couple of years ago, we had one of the worst school shootings in history, certainly in Texas's history, and it was VORTEC that neutralized that shooter and so I want to talk about school safety a little bit. You've got children, you've got grandchildren, I've got children. That's one thing that I think can bring us all together, is just the safety of our children.

(02:07:17)
And one area that I think goes unlooked is the Secret Service's role. As I've dived into school safety, Secret Service is at the heart of a lot of these solutions and usually, nobody thinks it in that manner. I'd love to get your thoughts. When it comes to school safety, what role do you think the Secret Service is currently playing or can it play in helping solve some of these problems?

Kristi Noem (02:07:42):

Well, right now, Secret Service is underutilized and they also are under-resourced. If you look through our reconciliation request and also fiscal year '26 budget request, there's additional dollars that are needed to really give Secret Service the tools, the training, and the resources that they need to meet every single

Kristi Noem (02:08:00):

… situation that they're involved in right now. Obviously, they have the protecting units and agents that are out there on the ground protecting individuals and the most powerful in the world, but also they have an investigative side that is a skillset that many other agencies like to tap into and ask them for insight into.

(02:08:16)
So are working to protect our kids. Our kids are our future. They really are what America is going to be and is today for many, many years. So it's incredibly important that we use that skillset to give advice, wisdom, but also training to those individuals that secure our schools.

(02:08:33)
The Department of Education has a partnership with us in how we train school security officers, but also how we go out and support local law enforcement to respond to situations like you experienced in your home district. It's a tragedy that we can be better equipped for and prepared for in the future in making sure that we're taking care of people ahead of time-

US Representative Michael McCaul (02:08:53):

That's it.

Kristi Noem (02:08:54):

… and addressing the concerns and the flags that happen before we end up in a situation like you experienced.

US Representative Michael McCaul (02:08:58):

Yeah, I appreciate that response and I'm really trying to get ahead of a problem, not wait for the problem to occur and then blame somebody else for why the problem was there. Let's just make sure our kids are safe as we harden schools, as we look for ideas to strengthen family units and do those different things. Once again, the Secret Service constantly continues to come up, so I look forward to working with you on that and another-

Kristi Noem (02:09:20):

One thing I would say is in the last several months, Secret Service recruitment has been up over 200%.

US Representative Michael McCaul (02:09:25):

Amazing.

Kristi Noem (02:09:26):

And under President Trump and the recruitment efforts that we've had for that agency, overwhelmingly people want to be a part of their mission in the future.

US Representative Michael McCaul (02:09:35):

Part of my schools and I know have just a little time here, part of my district, The Guardian program where teachers are armed is what works for that community. Other communities, they don't want to have their teachers armed.

(02:09:46)
In my eyes, that's for something for them to decide, but as far as the federal government response, I think the Secret Service can add to whatever local ideas they have. So I look forward to working with you on strengthening that and others. Thank you again and I yield back, Chairman.

US Representative Mark Green (02:09:58):

Gentleman's time has expired. I now recognize Ms. Johnson for five minutes of questions.

Congresswoman Julie Johnson (02:10:02):

Thank you so much-

US Representative Mark Green (02:10:03):

[inaudible 02:10:03] from Texas.

Congresswoman Julie Johnson (02:10:06):

… Mr. Chairman. And thank you Madam Secretary for appearing before our committee today. I want to address several issues. I'm going to try not to repeat a lot of issues that have been addressed, but I do have some substantial concerns over how ICE agents present themselves to the public.

(02:10:24)
Oftentimes we've seen many videos out there where they're masked and not properly identified. I have a lot of real personal concern about that. I just put myself in the situation of that woman from Tufts, for example. You're just walking down the street and all of a sudden out of nowhere, three masked men, not properly identified, attack you and try to take you away.

(02:10:49)
I find that to be reprehensible and not the values of this country. What steps are you taking to make sure that your ICE agents are not masked and properly identified when they approach someone?

Kristi Noem (02:11:00):

Well, ICE agents always identify themselves to individuals that they're encountering or that they're working with. What I would say as far as if they are wearing something over their faces, it's oftentimes because that agent has been involved in undercover operations or needs to be able to continue the investigative work that they do on a day-to-day basis.

Congresswoman Julie Johnson (02:11:20):

But don't you think Madam-

Kristi Noem (02:11:21):

And we're ensuring-

Congresswoman Julie Johnson (02:11:21):

… Secretary, that people have a right to see whoever's trying to apprehend them? I think it's creating this unrealistic vigilante system. And are you aware that your materials, ICE agents, jackets and the sorts, are available on Etsy for 20 bucks?

(02:11:38)
Anybody can do that: throw a mask on and run around and terrorizing people of color without any regard for the law, without any regard because your agency does not have proper protocols to make sure their agents are clearly identified and marked when their executing their jobs.

Kristi Noem (02:11:53):

Our agents do identify themselves, they verbally do that and then also by the clothing that they're wearing. And if they do have something that is covering some of their facial features, it's for their investigative work or their undercover work that they do as a part of their job duties as well.

(02:12:09)
What I would say is that it is important that we follow the procedures and protocols for every encounter that we have, and they have done that in every situation to the best of my knowledge.

Congresswoman Julie Johnson (02:12:20):

I would suggest that your protocols need to be revised because I don't think it's reasonable for masked men to be apprehending people on the streets. I think that instills a lot of fear. It doesn't instill security in the process, and in states like Texas that is open-carry when any jackadood can be walking around with a gun, I think some tragic circumstances are at bay.

(02:12:42)
I'd like to switch gears to due process. I have a lot of concerns about the lack of due process that your agency has been affording people in this country. In Texas, for example, you had rounded up 171 individuals, were preparing to deport them and it wasn't until the Supreme Court issued an opinion that that was unconstitutional and that their due process rights were being violated.

(02:13:04)
Did your agency actually stop and adhere to the Supreme Court's opinion? My question to you is, has those efforts ceased in your agency? Are you going to cease trying to deport people without access to due process in the courts of law in compliance with the United States Supreme Court?

Kristi Noem (02:13:20):

Well, Congresswoman, we are following due process and using it as to how Congress has laid out to us in statute and we are complying with all federal judge's orders as well.

Congresswoman Julie Johnson (02:13:30):

Well, you weren't complying at that time. It took the United States-

Kristi Noem (02:13:33):

We were.

Congresswoman Julie Johnson (02:13:33):

… Supreme Court to order you to comply. So you hadn't proactively complied on your own. You were intending to wrongfully deport people without access to a court hearing, without access to the rule of law. And that is why it was necessary for the United States Supreme Court-

Kristi Noem (02:13:47):

Due process does not guarantee a hearing.

Congresswoman Julie Johnson (02:13:48):

… mostly who issued an opinion ordering you and your agency to comply with the due process rights of the people in this country. That's what separates… That's what makes our country great, is we do have access to due process. And so my comment to you is I am hoping as you move forward… Because initially as you were proceeding through these deportation processes, you were not affording people due process and the Supreme Court has now ordered you to do so.

(02:14:13)
So I am assuming by your testimony that you do intend to comply with the Supreme Court's order moving forward and we're not going to have any more instances of wrongful deportation without proper access to due process. Is that correct?

Kristi Noem (02:14:24):

We are following federal judges orders and-

Congresswoman Julie Johnson (02:14:27):

Good.

Kristi Noem (02:14:27):

… we are complying with due process procedures-

Congresswoman Julie Johnson (02:14:29):

Well, we look forward to that.

Kristi Noem (02:14:30):

… as they are laid out as Congress has given us those tools to do that.

Congresswoman Julie Johnson (02:14:33):

Thank you. Madam Secretary. I have one other question about FEMA. I'm very concerned about the destruction of FEMA. Texas is a state that has a lot of hurricanes, tornadoes, and natural disasters. We rely upon FEMA extensively and I'm very worried about that.

(02:14:51)
And when you are governor though, you actually utilized FEMA for your own state. So you did recognize at the time when you were serving as a governor that FEMA played an important role in natural disasters within South Dakota. Is that correct?

Kristi Noem (02:15:01):

Yes. We had 12 FEMA related disasters during the six years I served as governor of the state of South Dakota.

Congresswoman Julie Johnson (02:15:08):

But I just find it-

Kristi Noem (02:15:09):

Agencies-

Congresswoman Julie Johnson (02:15:09):

I'm running out of time, but I just find it ironic.

US Representative Mark Green (02:15:13):

I now recognize Mr. Pfluger, the gentleman from Texas for five minutes.

Congressman August Pfluger (02:15:17):

Thank you Mr. Chairman. Secretary, thank you for being here. What a difference an election makes. What a difference a Congress makes. What a difference having you here instead of asking thousands of questions and getting no answers.

(02:15:32)
And I'll start with the first question that I left off with… And I know that may be funny to my colleagues, but it's not funny to me because of the known and suspected terrorists, the KSTs that came into this country.

(02:15:45)
And I'll basically lead off with the last question that I asked your predecessor, which was the policy of the Department of Homeland Security and this administration when it comes to KSTs, and talk to us about the successes that we've had and kind of where we stand because they left us with a real mess, with 40 plus people that were in this country. And I'd like to hear what your department has done and tell us the path forward.

Kristi Noem (02:16:14):

Yeah, absolutely, Congressman. The previous administration let a lot of dangerous individuals into this country and get a foothold and then not only just allowing them to perpetuate terrorist activities in our country, but also recruit new members and to build out their systems and to gain access to our infrastructure.

(02:16:32)
So I'm very proud of the fact that President Trump has aggressively enforced the law. Let us use the tools that are afforded to us under the Department of Homeland Security to address these threats, bring them to justice and face consequences, and to get them out of our country.

(02:16:47)
So he has removed over 250 known terrorists, suspected terrorists on the watch list, thousands and thousands of individuals that were affiliated with them, but also individuals that committed crimes, that are members of MS-13, Tren de Aragua, but also cartels and their members and affiliates in this country.

(02:17:10)
So overwhelmingly the safety of our communities is in a much better spot than it was just six short months ago. And even the message that President Trump has been bold enough to send around the world, he specifically told me, "Kristi, if you're given this job, I want you to tell the world that America has new leadership, that we are enforcing our laws now and that Americans get to be prioritized and their safety comes first. And if you want to break our laws and come to this country, don't even try it."

(02:17:38)
And that has sent an overwhelming message to the world that they're adhering to. That's one of the reasons you see less encounters at the border, is because people are staying home in their home countries because now they know we follow our laws.

(02:17:50)
The Mexican president and her team told me that they believe they've stopped over 600,000 people in Mexico before they even reached our border because they got the message they could no longer cross into the United States.

(02:18:03)
So we don't even know the hundreds of thousands of people that simply were in the process and turned around because President Trump has been very vocal at sending the message to the world, "Don't come here if you want to break our laws and victimize our people."

Congressman August Pfluger (02:18:16):

Well, the deterrent value of the policy, just enforcing the laws has certainly been noticeable. I represent a district that includes part of your air and marine operations that flies drones out of San Angelo, Texas, and flies into the Gulf of Mexico, but also along the border.

(02:18:32)
One of the issues that we faced in the previous administration was this huge number of known got-aways. Talk to us about the coordination with the state and local level. I also represent a piece of Fort Cavazos and we have military personnel who have a designated area along the border. How is that process working for deterrence but also to ensure there are no got-aways like we had?

Kristi Noem (02:18:59):

Well, there are known got-aways and then there's probably hundreds of thousands if not millions of people that we don't necessarily know how many of them are in this country that, because we had border patrol and assets and Coast Guard and ICE agents diverted into processing paperwork and facilitating illegal entry into our country, they weren't doing their security operations. They weren't allowed to do their jobs.

(02:19:22)
People have talked about me being out on the front lines with all of our components and agencies. I'll tell you why I'm there: the reason I'm walking alongside them is because I want to understand their jobs, where they don't have the equipment that they need, what authorizations and authorities they need to do their jobs.

(02:19:37)
And overwhelmingly they appreciate the fact that they finally have a secretary that shows up to walk alongside them, one that rides with them and doesn't ride over them and doesn't listen to them and has never been out in the field. They want me to be with them and they're proud of the fact that I don't mind representing them and their agency to the rest of the world saying I'm proud of the work that they do. We have a lot of got-aways. We also have some we don't even know that are in this country yet, and that's probably what keeps me up at night the most, is the fact that we don't really know the dangerous individuals that may be in this country that we have to get out before something happens that jeopardizes our National Security.

Congressman August Pfluger (02:20:19):

Secretary, thank you for being here and for your service. Our country is safer having you at the helm. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

US Representative Mark Green (02:20:26):

Gentleman's time has expired. I now recognize Mr. Hernandez for five minutes of questioning.

Mr. Hernandez (02:20:33):

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Madam Secretary, hi. I represent Puerto Rico in Congress and although we may disagree as to how I do agree that disaster response in this country needs to be reimagined and made more effective and I sincerely look forward to and hope to be a constructive partner in that respect.

(02:20:52)
Nearly eight years after Hurricane Maria struck the island, we have around $27 billion that have been obligated for Puerto Rico, yet only 4.4 billion have been dispersed. In the interest of time, I'll appreciate brief answers because there's a lot of anxiety in the island as to the future of these funds. Can you assure the people of Puerto Rico that these obligated funds are safe regardless of any FEMA restructuring?

Kristi Noem (02:21:19):

That is the biggest concern that we have within FEMA right now, is outstanding claims and the worst thing the federal government can do is to say that, "There is a claim here. It's valid that we are committed to fulfilling that responsibility"-

Mr. Hernandez (02:21:32):

I'm sorry, in the interest of time, could you say yes or no?

Kristi Noem (02:21:35):

So those claims are something my team is going through right now and evaluating and President Trump is committed to following through [inaudible 02:21:41]-

Mr. Hernandez (02:21:41):

I will assume that the answer is no and I'll proceed to the next question and I hope that we can work to make sure that those funds get to the people. Is it your department's view that the Puerto Rico government has done everything in its power to expedite the reconstruction process?

Kristi Noem (02:21:54):

Oh, I believe that Puerto Rico has been working hard to reconstruct and to put itself back together in partnering with the federal government as well. Your government has-

Mr. Hernandez (02:22:02):

So is the obstacle in the disbursements FEMA's fault?

Kristi Noem (02:22:05):

The what?

Mr. Hernandez (02:22:07):

Is the obstacle in these disbursements FEMA's responsibility?

Kristi Noem (02:22:09):

I don't have the knowledge to know specifically where all the problems are with the response in Puerto Rico, although I do know that FEMA has not fulfilled the obligations that previously promised to the island.

Mr. Hernandez (02:22:20):

Thank you. I'm going to shift to immigration in the interest of time. So you served as governor of South Dakota. Would you advise governors to give public assurances that federal immigration enforcement will not take place in their state?

Kristi Noem (02:22:34):

Would I advise to governors that they not?

Mr. Hernandez (02:22:38):

That they give public assurances that immigration enforcement will not occur in their states?

Kristi Noem (02:22:43):

No. I prefer that governors partner with us to make their states safer. I believe that the relationships that we have on the ground in many states is absolutely critical to making sure-

Mr. Hernandez (02:22:54):

So the answer is no.

Kristi Noem (02:22:54):

… these [inaudible 02:22:55]-

Mr. Hernandez (02:22:55):

You would not advise them to tell their constituents, "No, there will not be any enforcement in this state." Would you have publicly told the immigrants as governor in your state not to worry about deportations because your state wasn't a border state like Texas or California?

Kristi Noem (02:23:11):

I felt as though my state was a border state because we were every day impacted by the drug trafficking and the human trafficking that was coming over the border and had put a foothold in the state of South Dakota. Every state was dramatically impacted by the open-border policies.

Mr. Hernandez (02:23:27):

Okay. So you would not have told immigrants in your state, "Don't worry about deportation"?

Kristi Noem (02:23:30):

I think everybody-

Mr. Hernandez (02:23:30):

You would not have said that?

Kristi Noem (02:23:31):

The laws need to apply equally to everybody. That's what is so discouraging about the previous administration, is they picked winners and losers. They decided who are [inaudible 02:23:40]-

Mr. Hernandez (02:23:39):

Okay. The question has been answered. That's fine.

Kristi Noem (02:23:42):

… and who didn't happen. That doesn't happen anymore.

Mr. Hernandez (02:23:43):

You would not say that? You not-

Kristi Noem (02:23:43):

Now the laws-

Mr. Hernandez (02:23:44):

You would tell your constituents immigration laws will be enforced in this state whether or not we are a border state like California or Texas?

Kristi Noem (02:23:51):

Laws will be enforced, absolutely.

Mr. Hernandez (02:23:52):

In January, the governor of Puerto Rico made an opposite claim. She told immigrants not to worry about deportations because we're not Texas or California. Days later ICE conducted enforcement operations in immigrant neighborhoods in San Juan. Was that a responsible thing to say?

Kristi Noem (02:24:09):

I didn't hear her say that and haven't heard this before, but I believe that the partnerships we have with governors is extremely powerful in keeping their communities safe.

Mr. Hernandez (02:24:18):

That's an answer. Was she aware, was she briefed by DHS about the immigrant raids that would happen in the ensuing days?

Kristi Noem (02:24:25):

I have no knowledge to that situation. What I will tell you is that every governor that I know of feels the responsibility of protecting their state and they should be making the best decisions to secure their communities and their families that live there.

Mr. Hernandez (02:24:38):

And that includes telling people in their states or jurisdictions, "The administration's policy is that there will be raids to detain people who were undocumented in their jurisdictions"? Not to tell them, "Don't worry, this will not happen here"?

Kristi Noem (02:24:55):

I am not certain as to the situation you're speaking to. I'll get more information so that I can respond to you appropriately. I'm not certain whether or not-

Mr. Hernandez (02:25:01):

Hypothetically, as governor, would you have told the people of your state the laws will be enforced here as in any other state?

Kristi Noem (02:25:10):

What I would tell my people of South Dakota is that my job is to work for them and to represent them and to be their leader and protect their best interests. That includes making sure that citizens of South Dakota are my number one priority every day.

Mr. Hernandez (02:25:23):

I understand that and I thank you for your time and like I said at the beginning of my turn, I do look forward to working constructively on ways to reimagine FEMA and disaster response and to make sure that those funds, which today you have told us are not guaranteed for the people of Puerto Rico are guaranteed and delivered on time. Thank you.

US Representative Mark Green (02:25:41):

Gentleman's time has expired. I now recognize Mr. Luttrell for five minutes of questioning.

Congressman Morgan Luttrell (02:25:46):

Thank you Mr. Chairman. Madam Secretary, how are you today? I'd like to talk about the health and wellness of our operators, our DHS and immigration. Everyone, that's underneath your portfolio. I think the one thing that's often lost is that… You have military veterans in the room with you. And our role and responsibility was to put on a uniform in our body armor and we deployed globally to fight terrorism, and we had to leave the country to do that. And the men and women under DHS, they put on their uniforms every day and deploy right out their front door. And that's challenging. That is an unforgivable kind of space.

(02:26:35)
And my focus in the veteran community and active duty service as well as your department is the health and wellness of our operators currently and after they leave the career. Can you shed some light on it?

(02:26:50)
And to make another point, one of my lovely colleague from Texas was concerned about covering… They cover their faces up in the kits that they wear, and I can understand that's aggressive. That's a posturing and we don't get in gunfights every day, but the day that that happens, you will appreciate the fact that you're wearing that uniform.

(02:27:12)
And I'll also add, if you're presenting with somebody that's got their face covered, that can be scary. I got it. But when you're dealing with terrorist organizations that are internal and on our borders, it's not the operator that they're going to go after. They'll take a picture of that face and go after the families. So it's anonymity for the operators too, which needs to be said because it's important to protect the men and women that work under your department.

(02:27:36)
So if you will, please, can you kind of shed some light on me where we currently are now that you're the secretary for our health and wellness, cognitively and physically, and where we're going, please.

Kristi Noem (02:27:48):

Well, it is a concern for me, especially since we've seen an escalation in violence against our law enforcement officers and specifically those even within the Department of Homeland Security, the aggression that they face every single day as a part of their job duties is something that we have to make sure that we recognize and that we have the tools to help them and their family be successful.

(02:28:07)
So going forward and making sure that we're providing healthcare, but also mental healthcare is a priority of the department and this administration, recognizing that the previous administration led a lot of dangerous individuals, terrorists, and gang members and known cartel members into this country and now… And they've recruited new members and they've recruited homegrown terrorists that are citizens of the United States that are members of TDA now and MS-13 that present new and unique challenges.

(02:28:38)
That is something that we have made a priority to make sure that we're equipping them to prepare them for situations they're going to face with training and giving them the right equipment to protect themselves, but also when they step back from that line of duty how we can help them be whole and go back and live a successful life with their family.

Congressman Morgan Luttrell (02:28:54):

That's-

Kristi Noem (02:28:55):

What I would say is that it's difficult in areas of this country that were neglected for too long, especially in our Coast Guard. They're often very remote and isolated. They don't have access to specialty care, to mental health care.

(02:29:08)
And it's my commitment to all of our departments and components in the Coast Guard that I get them that kind of care where they're located because sometimes where they're stationed is not an area where that is available to them readily.

Congressman Morgan Luttrell (02:29:21):

Yes ma'am. And my office and myself included, look forward to working with you and your team on this. I'd hate for that to be lost in translation as hard as Coast Guard, Secret Service, our agents. As hard as they work, it's not… and I can't say I disagree, but it's just something that's happening. We don't do baseline assessments on these operators, which we should absolutely do.

(02:29:44)
We should track the health and wellness from start to finish and then when we hand them off back to their families, we have the comfort knowing that they're going to be fine once they move on to the next chapter of their lives. So I look forward to further conversations with you and your team. Thank you very much. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

US Representative Mark Green (02:30:01):

Gentlemen, yield. I now recognize Mr. Kennedy from New York for five minutes questioning.

Mr. Kennedy (02:30:05):

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Secretary Noem, thank you for your time before this committee. Today is a solemn day for my community in Buffalo, New York. Three years ago on May 14th, 2022, a gunman motivated by racism and hatred drove two and a half hours from his home to the east side of Buffalo to carry out an act of domestic terrorism. Equipped with enhanced body armor, a tactical helmet, and a semi-automatic rifle, the gunman opened fire at a local grocery store in a predominantly black community. In just 123 seconds, he took 10 innocent souls that day, severely injured three, and traumatized countless other individuals.

(02:30:56)
Because of this act of domestic terrorism, radicalized and indoctrinated online and carried out in the name of white supremacy, families in my community will never be whole again. Buffalo now joins a growing list of communities impacted by mass shootings carried out by lone wolf, homegrown, domestically, radicalized, disturbed individuals.

(02:31:24)
Secretary Noem, in your written testimony today, there's not one mention of this kind of threat to the homeland. You refer to foreign terrorist organizations. You refer to aliens who are affiliated with foreign terrorism. You refer to arrests of suspected gang members. Not once do you mention the term domestic terrorism, domestic terrorists, or lone wolf.

(02:31:45)
There's a gaping hole in your testimony today. You fail to reassure this committee or the American people that you'll protect the homeland from bad actors radicalized right here in the US like the gunman who opened fire on my community three years ago today. There's been a systematic intentional effort by your department and this administration since January 20th to ignore the very real threat posed by domestic terrorism. This is a blatant negligence made abundantly clear by the administration's budget and by President Trump's broader actions to defund the Department of Homeland Security initiatives that track and prevent domestic terrorism.

(02:32:26)
The Trump administration's budget proposal for the Department of Homeland Security completely eliminates the targeted violence and terrorism prevention grant program, a critical DHS program dedicated to helping local communities, including law enforcement, to develop and strengthen efforts to counter-attacks of targeted violence and terrorism just like the racist buffalo attack.

(02:32:54)
This exact grant program awarded nearly $1 million in the aftermath of the 514 shooting in Western New York to help close research gaps about the radicalization of domestic terrorists, develop violence prevention modules, and improve bystander intervention.

(02:33:11)
This program was also used to harden safety and prevention efforts in other communities that experienced targeted domestic terrorism, including a school shooting in Oakland County, Michigan, and a pattern of other domestic terrorist incidents.

(02:33:28)
The budget proposal you're defending today justifies the elimination of this funding by arguing it was, quote, "weaponized to target Americans exercising their First Amendment rights," end quote.

(02:33:45)
If the suggestion that an act of domestic terrorism, which took the lives of 10 innocent people and forever changed my community qualifies as protected First Amendment speech, then explain that to the families of the victims who were killed that day.

(02:34:04)
Under this administration, we have a Department of Homeland Security that is making excuses for domestic terrorists under the guise of free speech and insulting communities like mine, especially on a day like today, as we mark the anniversary of unimaginable violence and loss. We can do better and we must do better. With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

US Representative Mark Green (02:34:30):

Gentleman yields. I now recognize the gentleman from Alabama, Mr. Strong for five minutes.

Mr. Strong (02:34:35):

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Secretary Noem, thank you for aiding President Trump in securing our border after years of negligence and mismanagement. No new laws were needed. New leadership was the only piece of the puzzle missing.

(02:34:49)
I'd also like to thank the hardworking men and women of DHS for their tireless dedication to safeguarding our nation. Last week I spoke to the FBI director, Patel, about a recent visit he had to Huntsville, Alabama, and Redstone Arsenal. We discussed the cost-effective location, distinct partnership opportunities, high quality of life for personnel, the remarkable talent pool, and available room to grow.

(02:35:16)
As you may know, I'm proud to host HSI EXCOM-South and the National Academy for Advanced Training and Leadership in my district, along with many companies and organizations that support DHS. I'd like to invite you to come see for yourself the phenomenal work occurring in North Alabama. Secretary Noem, I'm curious, are there plans to move DHS personnel and programs out of the beltway and closer to the citizens they serve?

Kristi Noem (02:35:45):

Well, thank you for the question, Congressman. Currently, there aren't plans to move agencies or components outside of their offices, although we do believe that we need to be accountable to taxpayers and are evaluating every single mission set that each agency is tasked with and the individuals how they are fulfilling it.

(02:36:02)
So that is areas where you'll see reflected in our reconciliation ask and in our fiscal year '26 budget request that reflects where those needs are, but also our ability to reprogram dollars where the department got off mission and was perpetuating activities that were not a part of Homeland Security's reason for why it was created.

Mr. Strong (02:36:26):

Thank you. I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention my role as chairman of the Emergency Management Technology subcommittee, and I want to thank you for meeting with us in New Orleans. You made your schedule available to meet that committee right after you were confirmed, and we really appreciate that. As you can imagine, I have an interest in the work of FEMA Review Council and was pleased to see the announcement of 13 new members.

(02:36:49)
Secretary Noem, the president's executive order said the council would have up to 20 members. Will additional members be added, and how are you coordinating with the White House on the council?

Kristi Noem (02:37:01):

Yes, absolutely. There is the potential for new members to be added, and that is a current evaluation that's ongoing with me and my team and the White House as well. So if you have recommendations, we certainly would continue to receive those.

Mr. Strong (02:37:14):

Thank you. We're excited about those recommendations. What do you anticipate the priorities of the council will be and how can we support that work?

Kristi Noem (02:37:22):

Well, the priorities of the council is to evaluate FEMA as it stands today and how it can better be reformed and replaced to respond to people's needs in a time of crisis. What we can do to strengthen states, to give them more tools and resources to take care of their people, and empower them to make decisions in a critical response period.

(02:37:42)
Many times you've seen over the years where the federal government has not shown up when they were expected to, and then even after a crisis was over, had committed to being there to help people restructure and to rebuild and never followed through on it.

(02:37:57)
We still have claims outstanding in FEMA from Hurricane Katrina, wildfire claims from out west that are 10 years old where people said, "We have this claim that's lost. FEMA committed to pay it and still has not followed through on that."

(02:38:10)
We saw political targeting that happened in North Carolina where individuals within FEMA decided who could get help and who didn't get help. So that needs to end and this needs some integrity to it and making sure the federal government's there for support, but the states are empowered to do the emergency response is very important to President Trump.

Mr. Strong (02:38:28):

That support was determined based on the political sign they had in the front yards of their home.

Kristi Noem (02:38:32):

That is correct.

Mr. Strong (02:38:33):

And that's totally unacceptable. Switching gears, I'd also like to highlight the great work of CISA to protect our infrastructure and mass gathering events. Their training and exercises help states and localities respond quickly and effectively to evolving threats.

(02:38:48)
In Huntsville, Alabama, collaboration among the FBI, ATF, CISA office for bombing prevention represents the national hub of expertise focused on countering bomb threats and the use of explosives by adversaries. Secretary Noem, can you speak to how CISA is working with interagency partners to secure infrastructure, particularly ahead of the World Cup and Olympics?

Kristi Noem (02:39:13):

Yeah. CISA is the federal cybersecurity agency. It is the priority point for all agencies to interact with and their connections to state and local governments. And many times CISA got siloed and our CIA, FBI, intelligence agencies were siloed and not sharing information.

(02:39:31)
So we're building out a cooperation that has never existed before in where we're bringing them to the table, sharing information that we may have as far as vulnerabilities, but also in how we can partner with private industry.

(02:39:45)
The fact of the matter is that's a resource that was neglected for much too long, and so bringing private industry to the table to tell us and help us go out there and find those bad actors, oftentimes they know, but they don't have a protection

Kristi Noem (02:40:01):

… of letting us know without some kind of liability that they expose themselves to. So we're committed to building those kinds of partnerships so that they can flag threats to us without worried about retribution from those bad actors into their own companies.

Speaker 10 (02:40:16):

Secretary Noem, it's an honor to have you before us today. We'll see you in Alabama soon. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

US Representative Mark Green (02:40:22):

Thank you. The chair now recognizes the gentlelady from New Jersey, Ms. Pou.

Ms. Pou (02:40:27):

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Madam Secretary, good afternoon. I wish we could have heard from you before ramming through a $70 billion reconciliation bill. But nevertheless, I'm really happy and glad that we have a chance to speak with you today. Like many of my colleagues, I am deeply concerned that your department is blatantly ignoring our laws. The law is very, very clear. Members of Congress can show up unannounced to facilities and ICE must accommodate a tour of their detention centers. The fact that your spokesperson suggested arresting members of Congress who were given a tour of the facility is disturbing and certainly dangerous. We will not accept threats or intimidation by anyone at your department or across the administration for exercising our constitutional oversight authority.

(02:41:32)
Now, let me just refer now to my questions. The Trump administration's funding freeze has created chaos and unpredictability for state and local governments to respond to threats. Reportedly, $100 billion has been canceled or is being unlawfully withheld. You stated today that we are a nation of laws, yet you are actually violating the law. In our recent markup, I offered an amendment to prohibit DHS from delaying or withholding FEMA grant funding. Unfortunately, it was rejected by my GOP colleagues.

(02:42:18)
As my district ramps up for the World Cup, our first responders and municipalities require resources today. By delaying and withholding grants like the Homeland Security Grant Program, you do not just create uncertainty, you undermine the ability of state and local governments to begin security planning for one of the world's largest sporting events. Right now, you are a month behind issuing guidance on this critical funding. Similarly, guidance has not been issued for the Nonprofit Grant Security Program, which protects synagogues, churches, and mosques from threats. These delays harm our national security. Madam Secretary, when does your department plan for the Homeland Security Grant Program and the Nonprofit Security Grant Program funding to be made available?

Kristi Noem (02:43:21):

Congresswoman, every grant under the Department of Homeland Security is being evaluated to make sure that it's following statute as required by Congress as to how it should be allocated and obligated to local states and communities. So as many of those grants were paused and evaluated, you've seen that they've been continued and put out. But if they were misappropriated into things that were off of the guidance of how the grant should be utilized, then it was changed. But these grants that have been obligated and should go forward have been continued.

Ms. Pou (02:43:53):

Thank you. Let me just real quickly because I know our time, it's nearing to a close. As you know, New Jersey is one of 11 American cities that will host the FIFA World Cup matches next year. The final match will be held in my district in New Jersey. There will be tens of thousands of spectators at the final match and hundreds of thousands more attending fanfests throughout the northern New Jersey area. The World Cup is a time of international competition and celebration, but I worry about the chilling effect of the Trump administration's anti-immigrant rhetoric and America's ability to serve as a welcoming host. To add, the Trump administration is looking to reinstate and expand a travel ban targeting 43 countries for restrictions on entering the United States. Can you please tell us how you will ensure that fans traveling legally to the United States are not targeted for immigration raids?

Kristi Noem (02:45:01):

We are already working as an administration with the teams from all the countries that will come and be competing and their fans as well to process their paperwork and to help facilitate their travel to the United States. And, as you've seen, the president has formulated a task force that will focus on holding this unprecedented event and doing it in the safest manner possible while adding hospitality to it and helping people enjoy the matches and enjoy interacting with each other. And as you know, over 10 million people will attend the matches over that month-long period of time. Over 22 million people will interact through activities, you mentioned fanfest, and that is something that the Department of Homeland Security is tasked with. It's our responsibility to partner with local communities and cities that are the hosts and we'll be working with your city as well to ensure that we're prepared for it, that we have the needs met and that we are doing all that we can to secure each location.

Ms. Pou (02:46:00):

Thank you. I look forward to working with you in that regard. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.

US Representative Mark Green (02:46:06):

The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Oklahoma, Mr. Brecheen.

Congressman August Pfluger (02:46:11):

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Madam Secretary, it is so nice to see chaos and confusion and lawlessness being replaced by law and order. Thankful to you serving on this administration and implementing common sense. I don't know today that it was discussed and if it has been, I missed it. The Colombian entity that was picked up in the last several days in Houston, convicted of murder, that came across the border during the Biden administration. 21 year murder conviction sentence. And the very same ICE agents that were shoved and yelled and cursed at are the same ICE agents that are responsible for detaining and picking up this individual that was in the streets of Texas. You said earlier today in your testimony, discussing what happened in the last several days with colleagues even on this committee on the Democrat side, trying to go to a detention center.

(02:47:13)
This is the same type of place, Delaney Hall, where you would find murderers and rapists and like this Colombian entity convicted of murder and is now in your custody. It's just madness that lawlessness is being perpetrated by even members of Congress. I want to switch gears. FEMA. There is great excitement even as I'm talking to officials in Oklahoma who would love the opportunity to be able to make sure that the decisions for efficient use of taxpayer monies are implemented on the state level, knowing that the dollars will go farther and knowing that you all, as you're discussing block granting. Can you elaborate on current conditions, current status? There are people all over the country, even there's a Democrat member that is former emergency management who talks about the efficiencies that can be picked up on the state level. Can you talk about where you all are at, where we're headed on FEMA reform that can make the taxpayer dollar go farther?

Kristi Noem (02:48:23):

Yeah. We've got some incredible work ahead of us to do on FEMA and our response as a federal government and how we support states in this. And there's certainly a lot of people weighing in. We've got members of Congress on the House and the Senate side that have bills and legislation that they want to propose. But also I think it's important to have governors at the table because they're the ones who lead the response many times and know where the downfalls are. In many cases, there's hardworking FEMA employees that do their very best to deliver for those individuals in those communities. But what's happened in the past is that even under the previous administration, some of those FEMA employees were given the opportunity to not respond to a disaster if they didn't want to or if it wasn't convenient.

(02:49:05)
And so recognizing the importance of this agency and prioritizing it and making sure it's there to support the local response is incredibly important to the success for those families that get impacted by unprecedented events. So we're taking input, this review council is going to be continuing to give insight to the White House as well, and then the president certainly has ideas. He's traveled and been there for people on their worst days and he's heard their stories of how they thought FEMA would be there, FEMA promised they would be there, and then they never showed up. They had a claim, they couldn't do the paperwork themselves, they had to get people to help them fill out this complicated paperwork process, and then the claim was never paid or there was some problem and they had to appeal and appealing was normal. And that just doesn't serve people. We need to make sure that it's a predictable process, it's timely, and the best way to do that is to empower the local supporters.

Congressman August Pfluger (02:49:59):

Well, I've told this story often, given I've got a minute, I'll relay it to you. I'll never forget in 2012 in Oklahoma, a friend of mine were helping do some cleanup work on machinery. I was on a dozer, he was on a skid-steer for people that didn't have insurance. Little rural area required to push things into vegetative and non-vegetative brush piles. I'm on a dozer and I come from the dirt works world and I watched us not be able to light on fire in a rural area, what every rancher, you know from your background, does on an everyday basis when they're cleaning up their property.

(02:50:31)
We had to at state, local and federal expense reimbursed, bring in 18 wheelers with half rounds, take an excavator trackhoe to load that non-vegetative timber in the back of that, haul it off ground somewhere to bury it with another dozer or a trackhoe. Between the trucking, the dozer, the excavator, four times the cost. Because, and I ran as a state senator, a new law trying to get state control of that and we could not get the agency heads in Oklahoma to agree because they were concerned we would lose FEMA reimbursement if we had state control over it. Loss of efficiency. Grateful to you all for your leadership. Common sense returning not chaos, which was the former state before you got in this position. Thank you.

US Representative Mark Green (02:51:16):

The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Arizona, Mr. Crane, for five minutes.

US Representative Clay Higgins (02:51:21):

I want to thank you Ms. Noem for coming here today and giving us your testimony. I also want to thank you for the amazing work that yourself and everybody at Homeland Security have done to not only secure our border within just a couple of weeks, but also to start deporting folks that aren't supposed to be here in the first place. Secretary Noem, I'm very concerned about the behavior of one of my colleagues on this very committee who we saw assaulting both verbally and physically federal law enforcement officers just last week on national television. Ms. Noem, what kind of message do you think it sends to the country and radical political agitators that she sits here today not being charged for a crime to participate in today's hearing?

Kristi Noem (02:52:07):

Well, congressman, I believe that what you saw last Friday at Delaney Hall was not oversight. I believe that it was breaking into a federal facility and assaulting law enforcement officers. This congresswoman was surrounded by people who were criminals that were taking criminal actions. And so we need to be honest about what happened there and we also need to talk about the fact that we have always facilitated visits and tours of federal facilities. We would continue to do that as well and we would encourage that they work with us to do that in the future rather than to do the unprecedented destructive actions that the congresswoman and her colleagues engaged in last Friday.

US Representative Clay Higgins (02:52:44):

Ms. Noem, do you think her presence here today emboldens others to behave in the very same way?

Kristi Noem (02:52:50):

I think it would be sad if that's the testimony of what happened last Friday that gets perpetuated. I was shocked when I watched it and saw it and was extremely discouraged to see that the colleagues that surround those three defend them. Because those actions, we wouldn't want our kids to act that way, our children, our grandchildren to act that way. That's not the America that we dreamed and envisioned for our country. America should be a land of opportunity and where laws are enforced and there's consequences for breaking the law.

US Representative Clay Higgins (02:53:24):

Thank you. Ms. Noem, are you familiar with Article One, Section Nine, Clause Two of the Constitution that covers the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus?

Kristi Noem (02:53:33):

Yes.

US Representative Clay Higgins (02:53:35):

It says that the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended unless when cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. Are you aware of which presidents have suspended the writ of habeas corpus?

Kristi Noem (02:53:50):

I know that President Lincoln did.

US Representative Clay Higgins (02:53:52):

Yeah. Also, Roosevelt and President Grant. You testified under oath, I believe, that the Biden administration allowed an invasion into our country. Is that correct?

Kristi Noem (02:54:01):

That is correct.

US Representative Clay Higgins (02:54:03):

So do you think it falls under the constitutional guidelines that I just read to you?

Kristi Noem (02:54:08):

Okay. I'm not a constitutional lawyer, but I believe it does.

US Representative Clay Higgins (02:54:13):

You've also witnessed that the Democrats here today and also radical activist judges are trying to halt and deny the president's agenda to carry out his constitutional duties to keep Americans safe and carry out his promise to the American people to secure the border and carry out mass deportations of those who have entered the country illegally. Knowing this, are you open and supportive of this constitutional option to suspend the writ of habeas corpus to keep Americans safe and carry out the president's agenda?

Kristi Noem (02:54:43):

Well, this is something that's not in my purview to weigh in on. This is the president's prerogative to pursue and he has not indicated to me that he will or will not be taking that action.

US Representative Clay Higgins (02:54:57):

I want to thank Rogan O'Handley for his efforts to bring this constitutional solution into the national conversation. Now I want to shift gears real quick. Ms. Noem, on May 5th, 2025, I joined Congressman Zinke and eight of my fellow Republican colleagues in asking why it was appropriate for DOD and DHS to require real IDs for entry into Arlington National Cemetery.

Kristi Noem (02:55:21):

I did see that letter this week, sir.

US Representative Clay Higgins (02:55:24):

My question, what information can you share on the security posture of Arlington Cemetery that require a real ID?

Kristi Noem (02:55:31):

Well, sir, I'm not certain as to the procedures and the requirements at Arlington Cemetery. I do know that a real ID at our airports for travel was required by statute and law changed over 20 years ago. So that has been implemented on May 7th and we have over 90% compliance that has happened at our airport since then. And overwhelmingly, the vast majority of travelers have had a real ID and have utilized that or a federally recognized ID going forward. But as far as what is required at Arlington Cemetery, I have not been in the knowledge of what those requirements are.

US Representative Clay Higgins (02:56:11):

In that case, would you consider taking a look at that and also consider recommending repealing that requirement?

Kristi Noem (02:56:20):

I can certainly take a look at that and follow up with a conversation with you. Absolutely.

US Representative Clay Higgins (02:56:24):

Thank you. I yield back.

US Representative Mark Green (02:56:27):

The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee, Mr. Ogles, for five minutes of questioning.

Mr. Strong (02:56:33):

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you Madam Secretary for being here. Mr. Chairman, we've spent the last few hours with some of our colleagues defending rapists, murderers, individuals who committed a variety of crimes, and yet I don't believe a single one has asked about the 300,000 children that have been lost in our nation. I don't think a single one of them asked about Laken Riley's family or the young girls that recently have been reported between the ages of 12 and 14 that have been raped in Louisiana, Iowa, New York and other states.

(02:57:09)
And so as we sit here and have this conversation, let's level set about who we're really talking about. We're talking about criminals and thugs. And so let's get back to the reality of who these people are and not to mention the fact that if they come here illegally, their first action when they come into this country is in fact a criminal act. Now, Madam Secretary, we've heard a lot of misinformation and rapid fire, let's see if we can set the record straight on a few things. When it comes to detention centers and oversight provided to Congress, does that oversight provision allow members of Congress to break into detention centers?

Kristi Noem (02:57:48):

No, sir. I don't believe.

Mr. Strong (02:57:49):

Does that oversight authority give members of Congress the right to assault members of law enforcement?

Kristi Noem (02:57:55):

No, sir.

Mr. Strong (02:57:56):

Madam Secretary, is assaulting a member of law enforcement a crime?

Kristi Noem (02:58:00):

Yes.

Mr. Strong (02:58:01):

I would urge, Mr. Chairman, that this committee look into anyone in Congress who has assaulted a member of law enforcement and the respective actions be taken as necessary looking at the totality of the circumstances. Regards to FEMA, it's my understanding, you can correct me if I'm wrong, upon taking the helm, you discovered that there were a variety of unpaid claims, some of those going back 10 to 20 years?

Kristi Noem (02:58:27):

Absolutely.

Mr. Strong (02:58:29):

It's also my understanding that under the vision of President Donald Trump and your leadership, you plan to change the response time from 10 to 20 years to six months?

Kristi Noem (02:58:37):

That is true.

Mr. Strong (02:58:38):

Madam Secretary, as someone who was formerly a county executive, who's one of my departments was in fact emergency management, I can tell you that it will be necessary and very useful as states and communities look to be reimbursed. Let's turn to Nashville, which is part of my district. Under your leadership, Homeland Security and ICE has conducted a variety of raids recently, 95, I do believe, of which were arrested who had previous criminal charges, 31 of which were previously deported and snuck back into this country. One of those was a sexual predator. So again, let's level set as to who we are talking about. We're talking about criminals and thugs who have no business being in our country.

(02:59:22)
That being said, instead of thanking you and your leadership and thanking the president, the mayor of Nashville criticized and attacked law enforcement verbally. He then instructed members of law enforcement to report any communication with federal authorities. He then directed the Police Community Oversight Board to direct citizens to file complaints against law enforcement if they cooperate with federal law enforcement. Considering we've seen a 400% increase against federal law enforcement, do these types of statements and actions by a municipal leader concern you?

Kristi Noem (02:59:59):

Yes, absolutely. They perpetuate the violence against law enforcement officers. And what happens many times then is that our agents within the Department of Homeland Security go into situations with no backup, with no local response of people who know the communities, know the routes, the roads, or the needs to emergency services that may be there. So it absolutely makes them much more vulnerable to a situation to which their lives could be in jeopardy.

Mr. Strong (03:00:26):

Yes, ma'am. And if a municipal leader is found to be aiding and abetting illegal immigrants to evade federal law enforcement, would that be a criminal act?

Kristi Noem (03:00:36):

Yes, I believe it would, sir.

Mr. Strong (03:00:38):

And if elected officials impede ICE or Homeland Security in doing their job in pursuing illegal immigrants, would that be a criminal act?

Kristi Noem (03:00:46):

I believe so.

Mr. Strong (03:00:47):

Madam Secretary and Mr. Chairman, I will be asking the Committee of Homeland Security and Judiciary to be looking into the mayor of Nashville in any collusion or impeding of federal authorities in conducting their work in the city of Nashville. I would also encourage this committee and judiciary to look at other leaders, municipal leaders across the country as they obstruct this administration, this Madam Secretary and her employees in doing their constitutional job, which is uphold the rule of law. Madam Secretary, I thank you and I yield back.

Speaker 9 (03:01:23):

Is the gentleman trying to offer a motion or what?

Mr. Strong (03:01:24):

No, it's okay.

US Representative Mark Green (03:01:25):

The chairman now recognizes the gentlelady from South Carolina, Ms. Biggs, for her five minutes of questions.

Ms Biggs (03:01:35):

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to Secretary Noem for being here. So I represent the Third District of South Carolina and we're happy about the work that you and your team have done and continue to do to secure our border. It's very important. I mean, we could sit here all day and talk about the fentanyl crisis and the trafficking and it does affect each and every one of us. So you've made it clear that securing the border is not just a national security issue, but it's a financial one. Can you speak to how these enforcement gains translate into tangible cost savings for American taxpayers and counties in middle America where local law enforcement have had to bear the strain of dealing with these cartel-fueled crime and just as the fentanyl and the trafficking that I mentioned as well?

Kristi Noem (03:02:32):

Yes, the partnerships we've been able to build as a federal agency with local law enforcement and with state law enforcement has been key to helping make communities much safer in the last several months. Those state officials are so grateful to have someone come alongside them and help them address the public safety concerns and threats that they have and that they've been living with for the last several years. And so we have created through the 287(g) program, there's also other programs out there to where we operate in a task force model to go out and do enforcement operations, but also to bring consequences for those that are criminally breaking our laws.

(03:03:12)
Many times you have in areas where these people have committed multiple crimes and been re-released. In fact, in some sanctuary cities that's still happening, where people have committed acts of murder or rape that are still out on the loose. But because local law enforcement isn't addressing the issue, we haven't been able to capture those individuals yet. So we're always grateful for law enforcement that cares about their community and will step up and help protect them from these violent criminals.

Ms Biggs (03:03:41):

Well, great. Thank you. And I know you've worked hard with Governor McMaster and he appreciates your efforts as well. My next question, as part of your broader effort to return DHS to its core mission, are there specific TSA programs or administrative functions under review for potential reforms or streamlining or maybe even consolidation? Can you talk about that?

Kristi Noem (03:04:09):

Yeah. We're working to help TSA get the technology it needs to do better screening at airports and to make it much more streamlined for the passengers. I think everybody that I meet has some story of frustration that they've had at an airport or while traveling or in security lines. I would say just a few. But I would say that the technology needs that TSA have been neglected for far too long. So having exit lanes covered by gates instead of individuals would streamline it and help us secure the systems faster, making sure that we have the processes in place to streamline luggage and passengers without the need to take things out of bags and to take off shoes are things that are possible, but we need to invest in them. And that would not only help our transportation security officers be able to focus on their responsibilities, but it also would make it a much better experience for families that are trying to use our federal air system.

Ms Biggs (03:05:10):

Well, thank you. I also serve on the Science Space and Technology Committee and I look forward to hearing about what's around the corner as well with that committee.

Kristi Noem (03:05:19):

Yes.

Ms Biggs (03:05:20):

And thank you for being here. Thanks again today. And I yield back.

US Representative Mark Green (03:05:25):

The gentlelady yields. I now recognize Mr. Mackenzie from Pennsylvania for five minutes.

Mr. Mackenzie (03:05:30):

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you Madam Secretary for joining us here today. I would first like to start by thanking you for the incredible job that you've done securing our southern border in just the first 100 days of the Trump administration. Seeing a 90% decrease in encounters and apprehensions is an incredible job and is a testimony to your leadership and the leadership that we're seeing in this administration. There are two things that I would like to talk about today. First, sanctuary cities and second, protecting American workers.

(03:06:05)
What we see and hear in this committee today is the defense of violent, illegal immigrant criminals in our local communities. They are more focused on defending these violent criminals from deportation than they are on protecting American citizens in our local communities. And this plays out all across the country. In my local community in Northampton County, they have signed an executive order, Executive Order 2028, which bans ICE from arresting illegal immigrants when they're going through processing for a separate crime. And what this means in practice is that when ICE wants to go arrest a violent member of Tren de Aragua or a domestic abuser who is going through the processing in our local community, they cannot go inside that courthouse and actually arrest that person. They have to stake out the courthouse outside, taking hours of resources from law enforcement, potentially leaving our community more vulnerable. If that person were to go out a different exit of the courthouse and escape into our local community, they would be free to reign terror all across our beautiful Lehigh Valley.

(03:07:15)
So when we see people talking about due process and when we hear about upholding the rule of law, there are people all across this country who want to defend sanctuary city status in violation of federal law, in violation of federal law, yet they want to stand here as hypocrites and say that they are doing the defense of due process and upholding the rule of law. So my question to you, Madam Secretary, is what can we do to hold these people accountable? Elected officials which are placing Americans in jeopardy all across our country.

Kristi Noem (03:07:50):

Yeah. In sanctuary cities and states across the country, they tie the hands of us to respond to the needs of the local community members. And many of them, even our law enforcement agents can't do their jobs because they're not allowing them into state run facilities or to courthouses or to areas where they could interdict these criminals that at times are often violent criminals. We had an instance just recently where a murderer that committed a murder has been on the loose in a community and that is a sanctuary city, and we're not able to find this individual yet because we have a lack of cooperation from local law enforcement.

(03:08:27)
It not only endangers the public, but it endangers those officers. They go out there every day and they live in those communities too. This is where their kids go to school and they go to church and where they live. And they're demonized because of the defense that these individuals and members of this committee on the Democrat side perpetuate by defending criminals over their constituents. And so it's disheartening, but the responsibility of immigration laws and enforcement lies with the federal government, and we will continue to pursue law and order as long as President Trump is in the White House.

Mr. Mackenzie (03:09:03):

Well, I appreciate that and I look forward to working with you to figure out how we can hold these local elected officials accountable to their actions, which endanger the safety of people all across our communities. Because ultimately, when we see bad policy like this, somebody is going to get hurt on the other end, and there needs to be accountability at the end of the day. The second thing I would like to talk about is protecting American workers. There have been numerous reports about how visas are being abused by foreign workers who come into our country and then through things like the H-1B visa, for instance, are here doing short-term work as non-legal citizens, taking away jobs from American workers in places like the trucking industry. We've also heard about the hundreds of thousands of children that the Biden administration lost track of during their administration. Many of them were placed into forced labor and child labor situations in dangerous situations like meatpacking. So I would like to hear what the department is doing to crack down on these terrible behaviors and practices that went unchecked for many years during the Biden administration.

Kristi Noem (03:10:16):

Yeah. Absolutely. Well, we're partnering with all of our other federal agencies in a way that's really unprecedented to go after individuals that trafficked our children, that were involved in those operations, and then also to gather up their affiliates as well. The Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for our refugee programs. So adding integrity to that is very important. And make sure that when children come into our system, they may come in illegally or were trafficked in the past, that we're caring for them and returning them back to their families and to safe situations is very important. When you look at our visa programs, it's the Department of State that decides if a visa should be allocated to someone, it's the Department of Homeland Security that enforces that, that takes action on that. And we will continue to make sure that these programs are on task to why they were created, that they're being utilized for individuals who truly do love our country and recognize the opportunities our country provides them.

US Representative Mark Green (03:11:16):

The gentleman's time has expired. I now recognize Mr. Thanedar for five minutes of questioning.

Mr. Garbarino (03:11:21):

Thank you, chair and Ranking Member. Secretary Noem, the Constitution of the United States establishes a federal government divided into three branches. It is Congress that makes the laws, the president who takes care that the laws are faithfully executed, and it is the judicial department that says what the law is. The constitutional separation of powers and system of checks and balances is necessary for the protection of liberty. And any violation undermines the rights and

Mr. Garbarino (03:12:00):

… liberties of everyone in the United States. The Trump administration has repeatedly ignored the federal courts, including the Supreme Court. President Trump has even said that, and I quote, "doesn't know", end quote, whether he has to uphold the constitution. The president of the United States said he doesn't know. Secretary Noem, is it the policy of the Department of Homeland Security to follow orders issued by federal courts?

Kristi Noem (03:12:36):

Yes, we are following all federal court orders.

Mr. Garbarino (03:12:38):

So the answer is yes?

Kristi Noem (03:12:40):

We are following all federal court orders, yes.

Mr. Garbarino (03:12:43):

Well, as just one of the many examples a federal judge required FEMA and I quote, "immediately cease", end the quote, efforts to withhold disbursement of federal grant funding appropriated by Congress. The court later found evidence that FEMA, an agency under your purview, was in direct violation of the court orders. So court orders were not followed, as you see. Yes or no?

Kristi Noem (03:13:15):

We are following court orders. Grants are being reevaluated, but they are being obligated and appropriated according to how Congress has laid out.

Mr. Garbarino (03:13:24):

Well, Secretary Noem, we all took an oath to uphold the laws and Constitution of the United States. It is a sad day that I have to sit here and issue a reminder. You and the Department of Homeland Security must respect the Constitution and the courts. Mr. Chairman, I want to yield the rest of my time to the gentleman from New York.

US Representative Mark Green (03:13:48):

The gentleman yields. Mr. Goldman is recognized.

Mr. Goldman (03:13:51):

Thank you, Mr. Thanedar. Secretary Noem, your opening statement includes a lot of data and numbers, but it doesn't mention asylum. How many people have claimed asylum since January 21st of this year?

Kristi Noem (03:14:06):

I might not have that number readily available to me right now, but I can get that for you.

Mr. Goldman (03:14:10):

Do you have a sense? Is it-

Kristi Noem (03:14:11):

I don't.

Mr. Goldman (03:14:12):

… dozens, hundreds, thousands?

Kristi Noem (03:14:14):

I don't.

Mr. Goldman (03:14:16):

You are aware, are you not, that asylum is a lawful pathway into the country?

Kristi Noem (03:14:21):

I am.

Mr. Goldman (03:14:22):

And are you aware of how and why the United States implemented our asylum laws?

Kristi Noem (03:14:30):

We grant asylum to individuals who are feeling threatened, specifically by their government, through violent activities that are perpetuated in their own home countries.

Mr. Goldman (03:14:40):

Right, and it was originally implemented because Jews, fleeing from the Holocaust, were not allowed to seek refuge in this country, even though they clearly had no country to go to and had nowhere else to go. And those Jews in the Holocaust were rounded up frequently by the Gestapo in Nazi Germany, a secret undercover police unit that we know rounded up the Jews and sent them to the gas chambers.

(03:15:14)
One of the things that I want to address with you briefly is, I think you said, your testimony was that agents who are wearing masks do so as part of their undercover disguise. Is that right?

Kristi Noem (03:15:27):

So if the need arises to where they have activities that require them to be undercover at times or to protect their identity, to continue their work and their duties that may [inaudible 03:15:37]-

Mr. Goldman (03:15:36):

So if an agent is conducting an arrest and approaches an individual without their mask on, and then, when alerted to being videotaped, puts their mask on, that's not to protect their identity from the individual who's being arrested, right?

Kristi Noem (03:15:53):

It could be, Congressman, I don't know the specifics of the situation you [inaudible 03:15:57]-

Mr. Goldman (03:15:57):

Is it the policy of the Department of Homeland Security now that undercover ICE agents are permitted to wear face masks when executing their official duties?

Kristi Noem (03:16:09):

Sir, it is allowed that they can, if protecting their identity is-

Mr. Goldman (03:16:12):

Is it in the policies?

Kristi Noem (03:16:12):

… an imperative part of that [inaudible 03:16:14]-

Mr. Goldman (03:16:13):

Do you address face masks in the policies?

Kristi Noem (03:16:15):

I'll have to look and see if it's in our written policies. I'm not certain, but it's-

Mr. Goldman (03:16:18):

Because it's quite ironic, and I agree with the administration that is trying to ban face masks from anti-Semitic protests on campus, and yet our own law enforcement are wearing face masks to hide their identities.

Kristi Noem (03:16:30):

We're implementing the exact same policies that Joe Biden had in place for his [inaudible 03:16:35]-

Mr. Goldman (03:16:34):

That is not any policy that I was aware of-

Kristi Noem (03:16:36):

We did not change any of the policies.

Mr. Goldman (03:16:37):

… when I worked for the Department of Homeland Security.

US Representative Mark Green (03:16:38):

The gentleman's time has expired. The gentleman's time has expired. I recognize Mr. Knott for five minutes of questioning.

Mr. Strong (03:16:44):

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Madam Secretary, thank you for your testimony today. And as someone who worked with law enforcement at every level, I know the dangers that they face and I know the reasons why they wear those masks. And equating ICE agents to anti-Semitic mobs is a disgusting analogy. And I'm sorry this committee just asked you those questions.

(03:17:05)
But in regards to the threat that our country faces relating to the open border and the ill effects from it, I can't help but hear the silence when we hear the other side of the aisle. There is no protest to the open border. There's no protest to, at minimum, 10 million, up to maybe 15 or 20 million, people who came to the country. I worry in some ways that we are becoming desensitized to all of the problems because there are so many. Surges in overdose deaths from fentanyl, surges in violence. We see compounding numbers of people who are terrorists coming into the country.

(03:17:47)
I've heard testimony from this very committee that there were dozens, if not hundreds, of miles of border that were ordered to not be enforced over the last administration. So we don't know who's here. And whether it's hostile actors from China, Cuba, Venezuela, other hostile countries, whether in the Middle East or all over the world, we know that they sent people to exploit the open border policies of the last administration. Yes, drug trafficking, yes, human trafficking, yes, violence is all part of that, but so are threats that go well beyond that, terrorists, national security threats, et cetera. And if we made perfect border policy from this point forward, we would still have a huge problem because of what the Biden administration did in your position.

(03:18:34)
How can we as a committee help you get ahead of this problem and to make sure that the solutions continue to unfold years into the future, which is what will be required?

Kristi Noem (03:18:44):

Well, a couple of things. One of the things that I think was most tragic of the last administration is they even prevented us from having data to start with. For instance, President Trump in his first administration opened the Voices office at ICE, which gave victims of illegal immigrant crime an opportunity to get information, to have support systems, to get case information, to know when that individual was in court, when they were going to be released. When President Biden became president, he shut that office down, which means that because it didn't exist, we don't truly know how many victims of illegal immigrant crime there are out there. We don't have the data.

(03:19:21)
So continuing to have systems in place where you're bringing light to the fact that there are victims still out there and that people are still enduring criminal activity by illegal immigrants, and that they shouldn't be prioritized over American citizens, is very important. I would also say that making sure we have an opportunity to have the resources we need in order to do due diligence on enforcement operations and secure our border into the future is important. And then, continue to highlight sanctuary cities and the danger that they are to our country, what they do to their families that live in them, that we aren't able to take enforcement actions that are efficient to really bring them justice.

Mr. Strong (03:19:59):

In terms of the task force officers, ma'am, that is obviously a program that I as a federal prosecutor used. It's a force multiplier in a very profound way. In terms of the numbers that are allocated to the department that you lead, do we need more task force officers? Is it fine where it is? Is there room to grow? What would you say?

Kristi Noem (03:20:20):

No, we're always looking for more partnerships. We have over 600 agreements in place now with state and local law enforcement agencies, which goes into over 6,000 officers out there that have been added to our ranks to help us out there with enforcement operations in states across the country. So now there is six states that this kind of partnership is not allowed, it's banned by the state government. So it would be helpful to have those addressed in those states so that we could form a partnership like this to compound our resources to really make sure we're bringing safety.

Mr. Strong (03:20:55):

It might be worth reaching out to individual counties at some point.

Kristi Noem (03:20:57):

Yes.

Mr. Strong (03:20:58):

Because I know within those states there are numerous counties who are furious about those prohibitions from the governor's mansions. So that would be something that we would love to talk to you about.

(03:21:06)
And I'll close with this, ma'am, thank you for the work you're doing. I worked under the Biden administration, it was overwhelming. And again, we have a serious problem for years to come just because of that one four-year term. And if we can be of service to this committee, please reach out to us. And again, thank you for the work that you and President Trump are doing. I yield back.

Kristi Noem (03:21:23):

I appreciate that. Thank you.

US Representative Mark Green (03:21:24):

Gentleman yields. I now, I think, recognize our last member making comments today. Mr. Garcia, you're recognized.

Rep. Garcia (03:21:31):

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for being here, Madam Secretary. And you said that you're committed to complying with the Constitution, which we of course all appreciate and think is important. Now, we all know that the Fifth Amendment states, and I just want to be very clear, that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. The Fifth Amendment. Just to be clear, and a simple yes or no, this actually says person, is that correct, Madam Secretary?

Kristi Noem (03:21:56):

Correct.

Rep. Garcia (03:21:57):

Thank you. And you are aware that person have been defined by the Supreme Court repeatedly, multiple times, means citizens and non-citizens. Simple, yes or no. Is that correct?

Kristi Noem (03:22:07):

Correct, I believe.

Rep. Garcia (03:22:08):

Thank you. And in an April 7th ruling just recently, the Supreme Court has reaffirmed, and I'll quote, "it is well-established that the Fifth Amendment entitles aliens to due process under the law in the context of removal proceedings." But of course, the Department of Homeland Security prefer for the people to be imprisoned indefinitely and to go to prison. And deported US citizens, as noted today, children of [inaudible 03:22:30] for protection, with illegally arrested students and we know that just one of these students was released just last week and you were mandated to do so. Now the Fifth Amendment is clear. Madam Secretary, you committed to uphold the Constitution. Is that correct?

Kristi Noem (03:22:45):

Yes.

Rep. Garcia (03:22:46):

Thank you. And you now, of course, commit to following the Fifth Amendment. Is that correct?

Kristi Noem (03:22:50):

Yes.

Rep. Garcia (03:22:51):

Thank you. Now, Madam Secretary, you are violating that amendment as we speak and you are breaking your oath. You are deporting people and the department is deporting people without due process. We cannot deport US citizens. Without due process, there is nothing that Donald Trump could essentially be stopped in grabbing people off the street that's happening today. Now, maybe someone in government might not like your tattoos. Maybe they don't like how somebody votes. Maybe they don't want to see how someone represents their constituents in Congress, but if you can't see a judge, no one can protect you. And I hope that you and I and everyone here can agree with that. And apparently not even the Supreme Court actually matters when it comes to the case, of course, of Kilmar Garcia. But let's remember that we're not just deporting people. We're sending some of them to be locked up in one of the most dangerous prisons in the world.

(03:23:35)
Now, Madam Secretary, you've heard this case today, but I have to speak about it one more time. I think it's really important. This is Andry Romero. He had an appointment to come to this country to claim asylum. We gave him that appointment. The United States government gave him his asylum appointment. He comes for his appointment, he passes a credible fear interview. He's a gentle person, as described by his family. He's openly gay. He was leaving his country for persecution of being gay. He did everything right, claimed asylum, that was legal. And then we sent him to a dangerous prison at the border with no due process. There are claims about his tattoos. He has his parents' names on his tattoos and two crowns that relate to a festival back in his hometown. We are paying to lock this young gentleman up forever.

(03:24:23)
What I would ask is… The ambassador in El Salvador, we have asked for proof of life of Andry. He has had no access to lawyers or family since he has been taken over a month now. No one knows if he's even alive. His mother just wants to know if he is alive. So my ask to you, Madam Secretary, is the same that I asked the ambassador. Can we do a proof of life check on Andry just to see if he is alive?

Kristi Noem (03:24:48):

Congressman, we are utilizing the tools that Congress has given us to apply due process to individuals. We are doing that for every person and we are making sure that we're following what you have given us as far as guidance and how things should be implemented.

Rep. Garcia (03:25:02):

Madam, I appreciate that. Madam Secretary, thank you. Would you commit to just letting his mother know, as a mother to mother, if Andry is alive? He was given an asylum appointment by the United States government. We gave him an appointment. We said, "Andry, come to the border at this time to claim asylum." He was taken to a foreign prison in El Salvador. His mother just wants to know if he is alive. Can we check and do a wellness check on him?

Kristi Noem (03:25:23):

Our asylum applications are different than the granting of asylum. And I don't know the specifics of this individual case. This individual is in El Salvador, and the appeal would be best made to the president and to the government of El Salvador on this.

Rep. Garcia (03:25:37):

We've made that.

Kristi Noem (03:25:38):

This is not under my jurisdiction and I don't have-

Rep. Garcia (03:25:39):

Madam Secretary, you have said that CECOT in El Salvador is one of the tools in the toolbox that you have. You have said that and have been quoted as saying that. You and the president have the ability to check if Andry is alive and he's not being harmed. Would you commit at least into looking and asking El Salvador if he is alive?

Kristi Noem (03:25:55):

This is a question that's best asked to the president and the government of El Salvador, [inaudible 03:26:00].

Rep. Garcia (03:26:00):

I think you know very well that you could ask that question. What you are choosing to do, Madam Secretary, is disregard this young man's life, this young man's family, who was given an appointment by the United States. I think it is shameful that you won't even request to see if this young man is alive. His family has no idea, has no access to lawyers. I would hope that we would have the humanity, the humanity to just check if this young man is okay. With that I yield back. It's shameful.

US Representative Mark Green (03:26:26):

Gentleman yields. And I think we've covered everyone. Mr. Ranking Member, you're recognized for a closing statement.

US Representative Bennie Thompson (03:26:33):

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and I'd like to associate myself with Mr. Garcia's statement. I can't believe that we would send somebody or anyone from our country somewhere else and say, "Well, we cut off all communication." We're a better country than that. And I just thank Mr. Garcia for raising that question.

(03:27:05)
Secretary Noem, at the start of this hearing, you stood here and took an oath to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God. Then you sat down and dodged the truth over and over and over for a little more than three hours. So help you God.

(03:27:28)
You repeatedly testified that you and the Department of Homeland Security will follow the Constitution, the laws and the order of the Supreme Court. Well, the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution says that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. And yet a federal court found that the Department of Homeland Security, under your watch, believes that it has a right to stash away residents of this country in foreign prisons without the semblance of due process. So you did not tell the truth to this committee today when you said you would follow the Constitution and comply with due process.

(03:28:23)
You also testified that you follow orders of the Supreme Court of the United States and all courts. But the Supreme Court unanimously directed the government to facilitate the return of Kilmar Garcia to the United States. But you just testified before this committee that Kilmar Garcia will never return to the United States. So you didn't tell the truth to this committee again, when you said that you comply with court orders and decisions. You've overseen the deportation of US citizen children and have claimed that their parents chose to take their children with them. But you produced no evidence that the mother, let alone both parents of those children. Freely gave consent to have their children deported from the United States. In fact, everyone involved in those cases say that the mothers in fact did not want their children, especially their sick American children, deported. In fact, your agency lured families to ICE appointments under false pretenses, lied to them, refused to let them speak with an attorney or children's father, and deported them before a court had time to even hear the case. You've given yourself the unilateral right to deport anyone you deem a threat. You refuse to comply with court orders that try to stop you. That puts all of us at risk.

(03:30:11)
Beyond your false testimony about the administration's deportation policies, you falsely stated that the administration is focused on a full range of DHS's missions. Instead, your budget request appears to reflect a view that DHS's sole purpose is to be a border wall construction agency that deports US citizen children with cancer.

(03:30:40)
Your budget proposed cuts to cybersecurity, emergency preparedness and aviation security. Even before asking Congress for these budget cuts, you've overseen mass reductions in the workforce at CISA and FEMA. Despite repeated requests from this committee on how many people have been fired or have been bullied into quitting before their tenure, DHS has refused to share that information. So it should worry every American that we do not know how many people are left at FEMA to respond to disasters, and how many cyber defenders still work at CISA, as China and other adversaries attack our systems every day.

(03:31:32)
And you've made clear, in response to my questioning, you have no plan, written plans, for FEMA. It is very apparent that also there's no plan for CISA, where you are trying to gut the agency's funding, and falsely claiming that CISA is a censorship agency. Since CISA never censored anyone, but now we are all paying the price for you buying into a baseless conspiracy theory.

(03:32:04)
Secretary Noem, I'm glad that you finally came to testify before this committee, but I'm disappointed, along with a lot of my Democratic colleagues, that you stood here and took an oath to tell the truth, then repeatedly failed to do so to this committee. Let me just say, if you dance with the devil long enough, he's liable to follow you home. I hope that you will stop dancing around the truth and start telling the truth so this committee can do its work, helping to defend DHS from the attacks you've launched against it. Mr. Chair, I yield back.

US Representative Mark Green (03:32:45):

The gentleman yields. I want to make a clarification here because there's been so many incredibly false and misleading things said today. Once a deportation order has been issued, the due process is over. The due process occurs prior to that where the judge makes a decision with the information, oftentimes with the help of NGOs sometimes in the past funded by the federal government. But the judge issues an order and there's well over a million people in this situation that are being deported appropriately. No lawyer is offered at that point. The judge has made a decision. The due process has already occurred. It's really important to make that point. People are not inhuman or violating the law. They're following the law. They're executing an order that's been presented by a judge.

(03:33:45)
I saw a meme somewhere this week that said, "A society that makes war on its law enforcement better learn how to make friends with its criminals." I've said this before, the left has this incredible heart for the criminal. They defend the criminal, a full-throated defense of criminals over the safety of Americans and the following of the rule of law. We've even seen the defense of a congresswoman who threw a punch at a police officer. I mean, that's unconscionable. If I was a hundred percent politician, and I'm not, but if I was a hundred percent politician, I'd be happy with that. Why? Because that's exactly the reason they lost every single swing state in the recent election. The border, this full-throated defense of criminals and the punching of law enforcement in the face. It's why they lost every single swing state. And Republicans gained in almost every state more votes than we'd ever gotten before. Because the American people recognize who the good guy really is. And it ain't Tren de Aragua or a guy who was driving eight women, young women, through my state, and the Biden administration said, "Do not detain him."

(03:35:22)
As I've said before, the left doesn't know a good guy from a bad guy. They're street violent criminals and they want to defund ICE. That's been their mantra since I've been in this position. It's ridiculous. It's heinous. And yes, if I were pure politician, I'd say, "Keep going guys." But what it does is it breaks my heart. I am a combat veteran and I have a kindred connection to those law enforcement agencies and agents who put their ass on the line, their lives on the line for our safety. And we're fussing about whether or not the guy has a mask on to protect his identity when he's an undercover agent. I don't know how many people made an issue out of that. Give me a break.

(03:36:18)
Want to cut a deal with Iran, destabilize the Middle East, punch Saudi Arabia in the face, we get an imbalance, and what happens? An invasion of Israel. They don't know a good person from a bad person. That's why the American people said we don't want them in charge. Again, if I were a pure politician, I'd say, "Keep going guys." But it's a spit in the face to the men who wear that uniform. It's a charade. That's what it is. It's a charade, to say something about law enforcement and turn around and be okay with a US congresswoman punching a police officer in the back. It's infuriating.

(03:37:07)
Madam Secretary, you have done a remarkable job. And what's happening now is the criminals and the cartels have stopped making billions of dollars trafficking human beings into our country. Thank you for that. And the texts and tweets that I've gotten from border patrol, and the texts and tweets I've gotten from law enforcement all across this country during this hearing, support everything I'm saying. Thank you.

(03:37:37)
And I charge you to keep going. Keep doing it. That judge executes that removal order, get them out of here. They've had their due process. And you will have our full-throated support as you continue to do so. And we will work very hard to get reconciliation passed, so you have the resources and we can codify the common sense policies that this president has enacted with your leadership. Thank you for being here. Thank the staff for all the work they do to put these on. We stand adjourned.