Noem and GOP members tell Homeland Security committee border is secured; Democrats press due process and oversight

Secretary Kristi Noem told the House Committee on Homeland Security on May 20 that the Trump administration’s early actions have produced a “drastic turnaround” at the southern border, saying daily encounters have fallen and that the department is focusing on removing criminals and suspected terrorists.

Noem said the administration has “implemented the law and said that American citizens should come first,” adding that recent months have seen “near total control” at the Southern border and that the department has deported people it identified as dangerous. Chairman McCall opened the hearing by urging passage of the administration’s funding request and by saying the committee would “undo the damage” of the prior administration’s border policies.

The exchange highlighted starkly different views on cause and remedy: Republican members said new leadership and enforcement have reduced crossings and strengthened public safety, with some citing removals of suspected foreign terrorist operatives and large drug seizures. Representative McCall and other Republicans repeatedly urged Congress to pass reconciliation funding that they said would give DHS technology and personnel it needs. Noem called for Congress to “codify” recent executive actions into statute so they cannot be reversed by a later president.

Democrats questioned the department’s methods and outcomes and repeatedly raised whether detainees and people facing removal have received required legal process. Ranking Member Thompson and other Democrats pressed Noem on reported cases of U.S. citizen children removed with parents and on whether the department follows court rulings and ICE policy. Lawmakers also noted the Supreme Court and lower‑court instructions on hearings for detainees and asked how DHS will implement them.

Committee members on both sides also discussed cyber and national security threats beyond migration. Noem told the panel that malicious cyber intrusions have exposed gaps in U.S. defenses and urged investment in CISA and cyber workforce programs while criticizing prior agency work she said had strayed from its defensive mission.

The committee used unanimous consent to place numerous documents and media items into the hearing record, and members said they will follow up with written questions and requests for evidence on specific cases and operational numbers. No formal votes were taken at the hearing.

With reconciliation and appropriations bills pending, lawmakers pressed for specifics — appropriations, program details and court compliance — and signaled more oversight to come.

Less central items from the hearing included discussion of interagency partnerships, the Coast Guard’s resourcing and a proposal to expand cybersecurity scholarships and training. Several members reminded the secretary of the committee’s oversight authority and said they would seek additional documents and briefings in coming weeks.