Hakeem Jeffries accuses Kristi Noem of ‘depraved indifference’ in ICE shooting

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DY) made heated comments toward the Trump administration Cabinet official whose department has made headlines in recent weeks.

“It’s clear that Kristi Noem is completely unqualified. She should never have been confirmed by Senate Republicans,” Jeffries said of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary at a press conference Monday. “It’s a shame he’s there. He needs to be removed from the city as quickly as possible.”

Following a deadly ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis last week, criticism of Noem, DHS, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has intensified on the left.

An ICE agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a US citizen, who allegedly posed a threat to ICE agents trying to conduct enforcement operations. Partisan rifts emerged over which side acted improperly when the deadly incident occurred.

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“Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security, and ICE are completely out of control. And the American people want these extremists to be reined in,” Jeffries said in a statement Monday. he said.

He said Good “should be alive today” and accused both Noem and the ICE agent who shot Good of “depraved indifference to human life.”

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Video of last week’s incident shows Good’s car making contact with the ICE agent, who shot him before opening fire. Debate has since raged over whether he was deliberately getting in her way, or even using a gun on her car, or trying to drive away.

Federal officials like Noem have accused Good of actively trying to obstruct ICE activities in the Democrat-controlled city while arguing that the agent acted in self-defense.

Beautiful moments before Renee Nicole was shot and killed by a federal agent in Minneapolis. (Taken from Fox News)

Including Democrats Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz accused ICE and Republican officials of creating fear and tension in the city, and demanded that the federal government immediately stop its current operations there.

Now Democrats in Congress are threatening to cut funding for DHS unless significant reforms are made; Jeffries touched on this at the press conference.

“What we have in front of us right now is a spending bill that will go one of two ways. Republicans will either take the my-way-or-the-highway approach regarding the Homeland Security bill — and if that happens, the onus will be on them to find a path forward,” Jeffries began.

A car crashed at the scene where an ICE agent shot Renee Good. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

“Alternatively, especially in the face of tragedy…some common-sense measures need to be put in place so that ICE can conduct itself in a manner that is at least consistent with all other law enforcement agencies in the United States at the state, local, and federal levels.”

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The deadline to end federal funding and avoid a partial government shutdown ends Jan. 30.

Fox News Digital has reached out to DHS for a response.