U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, who serves as the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, criticized Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem during a committee meeting on Thursday. Durbin accused Noem of providing false statements under oath at an oversight hearing held earlier in the week.
Durbin stated, “I have served on this Committee for more than 25 years… and I’ve never been through a hearing like our DHS oversight hearing with Secretary Noem [on] Tuesday. The Secretary took an oath to tell the truth. But instead, she repeatedly failed to do so.”
He referenced several points from the recent hearing. “When I asked her if [DHS] follows court orders, Secretary Noem responded, ‘We follow court orders when they are given to us.’ This is demonstrably false. Even the Trump DOJ admitted in [a] sworn declaration that ICE has violated over 50 court orders in the state of New Jersey alone,” Durbin said.
Durbin also noted that Secretary Noem denied that DHS had detained U.S. citizens, which he disputed by referencing cases in Illinois: “Secretary Noem also denied that DHS has detained U.S. citizens. Americans around the country, including in my home state of Illinois, know this is false. One of my constituents, U.S. citizen Dayanne Figeroa, was detained for hours after federal agents rammed her car and forced her to the ground. During ‘Operation Midway Blitz,’ my staff documented the arrest and detention of at least 40 U.S. citizens in my state of Illinois alone.”
Another issue raised by Durbin concerned Corey Lewandowski’s involvement with DHS contracts: “Secretary Noem also lied about the role of her de facto chief of staff, Corey Lewandowski. When asked directly whether Mr. Lewandowski has any role in approving DHS contracts, she denied it with an unequivocal ‘no.’ [But] DHS records show Mr. Lewandowski personally approved a multimillion-dollar contract last year—and that he routinely signs off on large awards before they reach the Secretary’s desk.”
Durbin called for accountability: “Mr. Chairman, the Secretary’s testimony was not just evasive or troubling, she repeatedly made false statements under oath. This should concern every member of this Committee—Republican and Democrat alike. This Committee has an obligation to hold the Secretary accountable. I look forward to discussing this with you and other members of the Committee [about] what our recourse is.”
He further criticized Noem’s response regarding victims involved in law enforcement actions: “Let me say on a more personal note: several questions were repeatedly asked of her… really got to the heart of who she is. The question of common decency... She claimed they were domestic terrorists. There was no evidence of that. None... Imagine those families just having lost a daughter or a son... and have a member of the President’s cabinet announce on public television… that their deceased child was a domestic terrorist.”
Durbin expressed concerns about national security priorities under current leadership: “We also cannot ignore that Secretary Noem has seriously weakened our capacity to prevent cybersecurity and terrorist attacks… Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI had a dedicated team... Those investigations are now stalled, as agents are too busy with immigration enforcement.” He added that FBI Director Patel recently fired personnel specializing in counterintelligence during an ongoing conflict.
“As a result of the President’s misguided priorities—and the incompetent leadership of individuals like Secretary Noem and Director Patel—America is less safe in an increasingly dangerous world,” Durbin said.
The committee meeting also addressed judicial nominations for Robert Cekada (Director of ATF), Anna St. John (U.S District Court for Eastern District of Louisiana), and Andrew Davis (U.S District Court for Western District of Texas).
On Cekada's nomination Durbin remarked: “While Mr. Cekada is a career professional who is committed to fighting crime... his hearing testimony does not assure me that he would stand up [to the] Trump Administration to ensure this very controversial agency is not weaponized against the American people.”
Regarding Andrew Davis’ nomination, Durbin questioned Davis' impartiality due to his previous legal arguments against whistleblower provisions and his defense of controversial commentary: “Mr. Davis has repeatedly argued that the qui tam provision... violates the Constitution.... Of $6.8 billion in FCA settlements and judgments last year, qui tam actions comprised $5.3 billion.” He continued referencing past remarks by Davis defending Bill Bennett's comments on race and crime statistics: “[Mr. Davis] defended racist commentary... Mr. Davis defended this statement as ‘essentially accurate.’”
On Anna St John’s nomination Durbin raised issues related to her litigation history and views on workplace sexual assault legislation: “Her practice largely consists of challenging class-action settlements—and she has also made time to file amicus briefs in politically charged cases… Ms St John’s public commentary is also troubling...” He cited Gretchen Carlson’s criticism: “‘While women around the country bravely shared... St John used her power and influence to gaslight these women and the public.’”
The Senate Judiciary Committee plays an important role as it oversees federal law enforcement agencies and evaluates judicial nominees; its work affects constitutional protections and public safety nationwide according to its official website. The committee operates out of Washington D.C., includes members from both parties led by a chairperson, reviews legislation affecting civil rights and legal matters across all states (source).
Video footage, audio recordings, and other materials from today’s proceedings are available through official channels.
