A groundswell of voices have come to the same conclusion: Kristi Noem must go. Democratic Party leaders, top advocacy organizations and even some of the most centrist lawmakers in Congress are calling for the Homeland Security secretary to step aside after the shooting deaths in Minneapolis of two people who protested deportation policy. It's a defining moment in her tenure at the department. Few Republicans are rising to Noem's defense. House Democratic leaders said she should be fired or face impeachment proceedings. But President Donald Trump gave no indication Noem's job is in jeopardy. He praised Noem for helping close the U.S. border to illegal entries.
Outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has only days left in office. Mayorkas spoke to The Associated Press about what the agency had achieved. He defended his agency's work to tamp down border-crossing numbers. He also made the case for keeping together the department that was forged in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. Mayorkas said he has spoken repeatedly to South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who's President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the agency, including about the attack in New Orleans and the California wildfires. Homeland Security is responsible for border and airport security, disaster response, protections for high-level dignitaries and more.
The director of the Secret Service has resigned in the aftermath of the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. The shooting unleashed an outcry about how the agency failed in its core mission to protect current and former presidents. Kimberly Cheatle, who had served as Secret Service director since August 2022, faced growing calls to resign and several investigations into how a gunman was able to get so close to Trump at an outdoor campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Her departure is unlikely to end the scrutiny of the long-troubled agency after the failures of July 13. Cheatle's deputy director was appointed as acting director.
By REBECCA SANTANA and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press
The Republican chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee has issued a subpoena to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle compelling her to appear before the committee on Monday for what is scheduled to be the first congressional hearing into the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. The Department of Homeland Security's inspector general also says it's investigating the Secret Service's handling of security for Trump the day a gunman tried to assassinate him at a Pennsylvania rally. The agency said Wednesday the objective is to evaluate the Secret Service's "process for securing" Trump's Saturday event. The Secret Service has said it will participate with congressional committees looking into the shooting.
By STEPHEN GROVES, MARY CLARE JALONICK and REBECCA SANTANA Associated Press
Senate Republicans are blocking for a second time a bill to clamp down the number of migrants allowed to claim asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. The bill failed 43-50. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer brought up the bill again to underscore Republican resistance to it. The bipartisan proposal was already rejected by most Republicans in February, but with immigration and border security becoming one of the top issues of this year's election, Democrats are seeking to highlight Republican resistance to pursuing immigration legislation, along with other popular measures. Schumer is also planning to push forward a bill in June that would protect access to contraception.
