Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) called on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem to resign during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing, accusing her of “making America less safe.” “You have systematically dismantled the Department of Homeland Security, put your own interests above the department, and violated the law. You are making America less safe,” Thompson said. “So rather than sitting here and wasting your time and ours with more corruption, lies and lawlessness, I call on you to resign. Do a real service to the country and just resign. That is, if President Trump doesn’t fire you first,” he continued. Check it out: NEW: Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) calls on DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to resign before she even begins testifying at a House hearing on worldwide threats. "Do a real service to the country and just resign. That is, if President Trump doesn't fire you first." pic.twitter.com/kv2Iysfty4 — Fox News (@FoxNews) December 11, 2025 Fox News has more: Noem, who was joined at the hearing by National Counterterrorism Center director Joe Kent and Michael Glasheen, the operations director of the National Security Branch of the FBI, said one of her grandchildren, who was in the audience, was crying a little during Thompson’s remarks. “I don’t think she agreed with him,” Noem said jokingly. She touted the work DHS has done to secure the southern border and protect the U.S. “DHS is eradicating transnational organized crime and the stopping of deadly drugs from continuing to be funneled into our communities,” she told lawmakers. “We’re ending illegal immigration, returning sanity back to our immigration system, and we’re defending against cyberattacks against our critical infrastructure.” The former South Dakota governor, speaking about the global threats facing the country — including those posed by domestic extremists and radical Islamic terrorism — said the U.S. should brace for heightened risks as it prepares to host major events in 2026 such as the World Cup and the nation’s 250th birthday. Several anti-ICE protestors interrupted the hearing while Noem was giving her opening statement, shouting, “Get ICE off our streets,” and, “Stop terrorizing our community.” Footage below: BREAKING: Radical leftists are ALREADY interrupting Kristi Noem’s Congressional hearing, with one dressed up as a Catholic Cardinal These people are freaking sick in the head. Why haven’t we reopened the asylums yet? pic.twitter.com/3qgIowCBJy — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) December 11, 2025 Protestors also confronted Noem upon leaving the hearing, yelling, ”Shame on you!” Fox News shared footage: WATCH: Sec. Kristi Noem faces a barrage of hateful comments from protesters after a fiery hearing on the Trump administration's illegal immigration crackdown and border policies: "Shame on you!" "I don't know how you sleep at night!"@BillMelugin_ pic.twitter.com/DbvBuZvqUg — Fox News (@FoxNews) December 11, 2025 NewsNation shared further: Noem was accused of misleading committee members when she said she was departing the hearing early to attend another meeting that was actually canceled. It’s an assertion denied by Noem’s office, which said she only found out her meeting was canceled after she left the witness table. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., moved to subpoena Noem to reappear before the panel, saying she shirked her duties and may have even lied about needing to attend a meeting of the FEMA Council convened to determine the future of the disaster agency. “The Secretary found out at 12:26pm that the meeting was cancelled,” a DHS spokesperson said. Republicans voted down Thompson’s motion to again call her before the committee. Noem said earlier in the hearing that she would need to leave to attend the FEMA Council meeting. Several Democrats repeatedly told Noem flatly that she was “lying” to them and to the public. They presented cases of U.S. citizens being detained in immigration operations and families of American military veterans being torn apart by deportations of loved ones who have not committed serious crimes or other violations.