March 3, 2026 / 6:00 AM EST / CBS News
What to know about Noem’s testimony to Congress
– Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will testify to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, her first appearance before lawmakers since the department came under intense scrutiny over the Trump administration’s recent immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.
– Her testimony follows calls for more oversight after the Jan. 7 shooting of Renee Good and the Jan. 24 shooting of Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents. The administration subsequently took steps to de-escalate in Minneapolis and began ending the ICE surge last month.
– DHS has been operating in a partial shutdown since Feb. 14 as lawmakers remain deadlocked over reforms to immigration enforcement in exchange for funding. The newly launched war with Iran has raised concerns about letting DHS agencies go unfunded.
– The hearing is set to begin at 9 a.m. and will be live-streamed.
Updated 6:00 AM
Noem to testify before House committee tomorrow
Following Tuesday’s Senate testimony, Noem is scheduled to appear before the House Judiciary Committee for an oversight hearing on Wednesday.
Partial shutdown, ICE reform negotiations hang over testimony
Noem’s testimony comes while DHS is the only department left unfunded amid a standoff between Democrats and Republicans over reforms to the administration’s immigration enforcement. The funding lapse began Feb. 14.
DHS oversees ICE and CBP as well as FEMA, the TSA and the Coast Guard. Many workers continuing to perform essential duties during the partial shutdown have begun missing paychecks. Democrats and the White House have been trading proposals for reforms, but a resolution has not emerged.
House GOP leaders argue the war with Iran increases urgency to fund DHS. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said it is dangerous to keep DHS shut down following recent strikes and elevated threats, urging Democrats to bring legislation to the floor to end the shutdown. A Senate GOP effort to advance funding fell short last week, with nearly all Democrats opposing the measure. Democrats insist they will not fund DHS without reforms to immigration enforcement agencies.
The Trump administration’s immigration enforcement campaign has remained funded despite the shutdown because of a multibillion-dollar cash infusion for ICE and CBP passed last summer.
Lawmakers’ long push for Noem to testify
Noem has faced intense scrutiny since the two deadly shootings of U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis, prompting multiple congressional requests for her to answer about department operations and her public responses.
Criticism intensified after Alex Pretti’s death, when Noem publicly alleged Pretti approached Border Patrol agents with a gun and resisted violently. Video did not show Pretti brandishing a gun, and lawmakers — including some Republicans — criticized Noem for rushing to judgment. Sen. Thom Tillis, the first GOP senator to call for Noem’s resignation, sits on the Judiciary Committee and may press her during the hearing.
Noem’s testimony follows recent appearances by leaders of ICE, CBP and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, who testified before House and Senate committees last month about the Minneapolis crackdown. Those officials faced questions about Noem’s handling of the situation and whether she should step down; some lawmakers expressed frustration that Noem had not yet testified herself.