WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Vice Chair of Policy Congressman Rob Menendez joined CHC leadership today in releasing the following statement after DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's firing:
“Kristi Noem demonstrated from the very beginning that she was not up to the responsibility of leading the Department of Homeland Security. For more than a month, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus has called for her removal, raising serious concerns about her leadership, the erosion of due process, and a pattern of abuses carried out under her watch.
“That it took President Trump more than a year to reach this conclusion is itself an indictment of the administration’s judgment and priorities. The American people and members of Congress were sounding the alarm long before the White House chose to act.
“The president’s reported plan to replace Secretary Noem with Senator Markwayne Mullin also raises serious questions about the direction and seriousness of leadership at the Department of Homeland Security. The American people deserve steady, responsible leadership at an agency tasked with protecting our nation while upholding the Constitution and the rule of law.
“Still, today’s development is an important step forward. The removal of Secretary Noem is a direct result of sustained oversight, public accountability, and the voices of Americans across the country who refused to stay silent in the face of corruption, cruelty, and incompetence.
“This is a victory for those who worked tirelessly to expose these failures. But most of all, it is a victory for the American people, who made clear that enough was enough and that no public official is above accountability.”
