In a significant political development, a faction of congressional representatives has moved to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The group, spearheaded by Rep. Robin Kelly from Illinois, accuses Noem of violating her oath of office and inflicting what they describe as a “reign of terror” on communities nationwide.

According to the accusations, Secretary Noem has allegedly obstructed Congress, breached constitutional duties, and exploited her position for personal advantage. During a press conference, Rep. Kelly articulated these serious charges, stating, “Secretary Noem’s actions have negatively impacted communities from Chicago to Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and beyond. Her conduct necessitates impeachment.”

At the press event, Kelly called out Noem, who had dismissed the impeachment efforts as “silly.” Kelly responded forcefully, warning, “Secretary Noem, you have breached your oath of office, and there will be consequences. The American people and I are observing your actions closely, and we are not pleased. Dismissing impeachment as trivial shows a lack of gravity concerning your responsibilities and our constitutional framework.”

The impeachment resolution, as outlined in the documentation, details several accusations. One of the primary charges is that Noem obstructed Congress by preventing access to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) facilities, contravening the 2024 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. Furthermore, she is accused of implementing a policy that requires congressional members to provide seven days’ notice before visiting DHS detention centers, which is seen as a violation of the same legislation.

The impeachment resolution breaks down each article it introduces. First, it says Noem has obstructed Congress by preventing representatives from entering Department of Homeland Security (DHS) facilities in breach of the 2024 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. The secretary also allegedly contravened the bill when she “implemented a scheme” to require members of Congress to give notice of at least seven days before visiting a DHS detention facility.

The resolution proceeds to list six alleged examples of representatives being barred from visiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities. ICE is an agency under the umbrella of DHS. Noem is also accused of withholding funding allocated by Congress for two Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) programs in violation of the Impoundment Control Act.

The representatives also allege that Noem has “repeatedly” violated the Immigration and Nationality Act and the Constitution through “widespread warrantless arrests” by ICE agents, the alleged forgoing of due process, and “violence against United States citizens, lawful residents, and other individuals.”

Rep. Maxine Dexter, D-Ore., who co-sponsored the resolution, was scathing in her assessment of Noem’s conduct, saying this “behavior doesn’t happen in a vacuum; it’s a failure of leadership that begins at the top.”

“From Portland to Minneapolis to Chicago, our communities have been used as training grounds for increasingly brazen, militarized federal agents who act without fear of being accountable to the law,” Dexter said. “Under Kristi Noem, oversight has been obstructed, excessive force normalized, transparency abandoned, and due process disregarded. Oregonians have had enough. I am using my authority to hold Kristi Noem accountable for the utter lawlessness she has unleashed on our communities.”

This “utter lawlessness” is typified by an ICE agent’s Jan. 7 fatal shooting of a Minneapolis mother who was driving her vehicle and “attempting to get out of the way of agents,” the resolution says, also naming four other incidents. And they say that “[d]espite video showing” 37-year-old Renee Good moving away from officers in the Minneapolis shooting, Noem “is claiming publicly that the officer was in danger” when he fired the shots.

But Noem has gone even further, the lawmakers allege. She has “misused her position for personal gain while inappropriately using $200 million taxpayer dollars to fund an ad campaign for ICE recruitment,” Kelly claimed, pointing to the awarding of a contract to a nascent firm run by the husband of Noem’s “close friend,” DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin.

A DHS spokesperson called the impeachment effort “silly,” as Kelly alluded to at her press conference.

“How silly during a serious time,” the spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill, claiming ICE officers are facing a 1,300% increase in assaults against them. “Rep. Kelly is more focused on showmanship and fundraising clicks than actually cleaning up her crime-ridden Chicago district.”

Kelly’s office said more than 70 members of Congress have co-sponsored her legislation.

Filing articles of impeachment merely signifies the introduction of formal allegations against a government official for suspected wrongdoing. For an official to be removed from office, the House of Representatives would have to adopt the articles by a simple majority vote, leading to the Senate holding a trial in which two-thirds of senators would have to vote to convict.