THE FOLLOWING RELEASE IS FROM CONGRESSWOMAN ROBIN KELLY’S OFFICE
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) formally introduced [robinkelly.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/robinkelly.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/rep-kelly-impeachment-articles-against-sec-noem.pdf]articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. So far, 70 Members of Congress have cosponsored Rep. Kelly’s impeachment resolution.
“Secretary Noem has brought her reign of terror to Chicago, LA, Minneapolis, and communities from north to south, east to west. She needs to be impeached for her actions,” said Rep. Kelly at a press conference introducing articles of impeachment. “Secretary Noem has called my impeachment effort ‘silly.’ I want to tell her right now: You have violated your oath of office and there will be consequences. I am watching you. The American people are watching you. And most of all, we are not liking what we are seeing. If you believe impeachment is ‘silly,’ then you are not taking your job or our Constitution seriously.”
This morning at the press conference, Rep. Kelly was joined by U.S. Reps. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), who is also the Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), and cosponsors of the impeachment articles.
The Constitution gives the U.S. House sole power of impeachment. Rep. Kelly introduced three articles of impeachment:
1. Obstruction of Congress
Secretary Noem violated her constitutional oath and refused to comply with the law that prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from preventing a Member of Congress from entering a DHS facility used to detain undocumented immigrants.
Rep. Kelly has tried to enter the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Illinois, but was denied, despite following Secretary Noem’s unlawful seven-day notice. There’s been documentation of six other instances in which Members of Congress have tried to enter an ICE facility and was denied in Texas, Colorado, California, New York, Virginia and Washington.
2. Violation of Public Trust
Secretary Noem has repeatedly violated the Immigration and Nationality Act, the First and Fourth Amendments of the United States Constitution. She’s also broken due process by directing ICE to conduct warrantless arrests and use violence against US citizens and lawful individuals.
During Secretary Noem’s “Operation Midway Blitz” in Chicago, federal agents used excessive force, in some cases injuring or killing, residents. Federal agents used military-style tactics to raid an apartment building in South Shore, detaining U.S. citizens for hours without warrants or reason for arrest. These dangerous actions have continued in cities across the country, including in Minneapolis, where Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed without justification.
3. Self-Dealing
Secretary Noem has misused her position for personal gain while inappropriately using $200 million taxpayer dollars to fund an ad campaign for ICE recruitment. She bypassed the normal competitive bidding process to award a contract to a firm called Strategy Group. Strategy Group was formed just days before the award and is run by the husband of senior DHS official Tricia McClaughlin, a close friend of Secretary Noem.
[robinkelly.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/robinkelly.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/rep-kelly-impeachment-articles-against-sec-noem.pdf]Read the full text of articles of impeachment here.
There are 70 Members of Congress cosponsoring these articles of impeachment: Adriano Espaillat, Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus; Alma Adams; Angie Craig; April McClain Delaney; Becca Balint; Betty McCollum; Bonnie Watson Coleman; Brad Sherman; Brittany Pettersen; Chellie Pingree; Danny Davis; Dave Min; Diana DeGette; Doris Matsui; Emily Randall; Eric Sorensen; Eric Swalwell; Gabe Amo; Gabe Vasquez; Gwen Moore; Ilhan Omar; Jan Schakowsky; Jasmine Crockett; Jill Tokuda; Jimmy Gomez; John Larson; Jonathan Jackson; Juan Vargas; Julie Johnson; Kelly Morrison; Kevin Mullin; LaMonica McIver; Lateefah Simon; Laura Friedman; Linda T. Sanchez; Lloyd Doggett; Lori Trahan; Luz Rivas; Mark DeSaulnier; Mark Pocan; Maxine Dexter; Maxwell Frost; Melanie Stansbury; Mike Quigley; Mike Thompson; Nikki Budzinski; Nydia M. Velazquez; Paul Tonko; Pramila Jayapal; Raja Krishnamoorthi; Rashida Tlaib; Ritchie Torres; Rob Menendez; Sarah Elfreth; Sarah McBride; Sean Casten; Seth Moulton; Shontel M. Brown; Shri Thanedar; Steve Cohen; Summer Lee; Suzanne Bonamici; Teresa Leger Fernandez; Tim Kennedy; Val Hoyle; Valerie Foushee; Veronica Escobar; Wesley Bell; Yassamin Ansari; Yvette Clarke.
