Illinois Dems say Noem must go

Jan

2026

In the News

Illinois Dems say Noem must go

HAD IT UP TO HERE: Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday called for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s removal over the federal government’s use of lethal force in Minneapolis.

“For months, Trump’s DHS has wreaked lawless havoc in our neighborhoods. Tear gassing infants, families and police. Firing their weapons at peaceful citizens. Killing innocent people. It’s brutal, unconstitutional and out of control. It must stop. Kristi Noem must go. Now,” Pritzker posted on social media.

Echo that: Congresswoman Robin Kelly is taking action on Capitol Hill, filing legislation to hold Noem and federal officials accountable. “I will be filing Articles of Impeachment against Kristi Noem,” said Kelly, a U.S. Senate candidate. “I’ve had enough. She has turned ICE into a rogue force, violating the Constitution, tearing families apart and leaving death in her wake. From Chicago to Minneapolis, her recklessness cost lives.”

Chiming in: Another Senate candidate, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, also pledged support for Kelly’s bill.

And Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth called for “a full investigation” into the shooting incident.

Illinois deja vu: The controversy comes after a federal agent fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis, reigniting tensions in Illinois.

DHS defended the agent, saying he acted “fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement officers and the safety of the public,” claiming the woman had “weaponized her vehicle” in “an act of domestic terrorism.”

Minnesota officials disagreed. Bystander video contradicted DHS’ account. “Having seen the video myself, I wanna tell everybody directly, that is bullshit,” said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, via the Star Tribune.

Sounds familiar: The incident echoes previous federal shootings in Illinois. Last fall, agents shot Marimar Martinez in Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood and later killed Silverio Villegas González in suburban Franklin Park.

“In both cases, the feds alleged that the agents had been acting in self-defense. And in both cases, video footage and discovery materials later poked holes in officials’ claims about agents’ justification for lethal force,” explains the Chicago Tribune.

Ripple effect: The Minneapolis shooting sparked protests across Chicago and its suburbs Wednesday night, including in Little Village and Oak Park, with demonstrators holding signs reading “ICE Lies” and “They’re killing people.”

By Shia Kapos